Details of this species in Langebaan Lagoon Status: Alien
Invasiveness: Invasive
Occurrence: Established
Source: Robinson and Griffiths 2002 Arrival Date:
Introduction: Species Notes for this Location:
In 1992 the invasive mussel M. galloprovincialis began establishing beds on the centre sandbanks of Langebaan Lagoon. Management Notes for this Location:
A comparative study between invaded areas and areas clear of invasion was conducted in order to investigate the effect of the invasion by M. galloprovincialis on naturally-occurring communities. Communities in these areas differed significantly with figures indicating a replacement of the naturally-occurring sandbank communities by those more typical of rocky shores. It is thus recommended that the invasive mussel beds be removed to conserve the natural biota of the centre banks, which lie within a national park.In July 1999 the overall size of the littoral mussel beds was 0.99 ha, supporting an estimated 47 million mussels, but by March 2001 it had decreased by more than 88% to 0.10 ha and an estimated 3 million individuals. The primary cause of the dieback appeared to be sediment deposition, possibly aggravated by a scarcity of food (phytoplankton). The littoral mussel populations were comprised almost exclusively (99%) of M. galloprovincialis (Hanekom and Nel 2002). Impacts:
Habitat alteration: Robinson and Griffiths (2002) suggests that naturally-occurring sandbank communities are being converted by Mytilus galloprovincialis to habitats and communities more typical of rocky shores. Last Modified: 9/05/2006 9:13:41 a.m.
|
