RECRUITMENT OF THE INVASIVE ORNAMENTAL, SCHINUS-TEREBINTHIFOLIUS, IS DEPENDENT UPON FRUGIVORES

Generalist avian frugivores often play an important role in the proces ses of naturalization and invasion for plants introduced for ornamenta l and landscaping purposes. We investigated the potential role of Aust ralian birds in the current invasion of riparian habitats and coastal wetlands by the ornamental Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi. Feeding tri als in captivity predicted silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis Latham) as dispersal vectors for this weed. There were no differences in either t otal germination or germination rate between seeds voided by caged sil vereyes and those from which exocarps had been removed manually. Germi nation of seeds incubated within entire fruits was minimal, as was eme rgence from intact fruits in a held experiment. Seed banks of S. tereb inthifolius were relatively transient under field conditions, with no seeds surviving for 9 months. Since fewer than 5% of the seeds in sown whole fruits gave rise to seedlings (cf. 20-42% for sown bare seeds), we conclude that recruitment potential of S. terebinthifolius is high ly dependent upon the consumption of its fruits by frugivores.