Nutsedge-hog interaction
Interactions between invasive species are becoming increasingly common as introduced species establish around the world. We studied an interaction on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia, involving yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and wild hogs (Sus scrofa). Wild hog foraging behavior has been found to promote the density of yellow nutsedge, a clonal plant that can rapidly grow in a disturbed environment through underground tubers. Wild hogs disturb the soil and remove native plant cover, allowing yellow nutsedge to regrow in the disturbance. As native plants begin to outcompete the yellow nutsedge, the wild hogs return to the location to forage, beginning the cycle again.
Publication:
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Oldfield, C.A., and J.P. Evans. 2016. Twelve years of repeated wild hog activity promotes population maintenance of an invasive clonal plant in a coastal dune ecosystem. Ecology and Evolution 6: 2569-2578. doi: 10.1002/ece3.2045.
Media Coverage:
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Savannah Morning News (May 30, 2016): "St. Catherines' pigs don't fly, but they do farm" by Asher Kolman