Colonisation and spread of Hieracium spp in the South Island high country over 25 years

Abstract

This report documents the invasion of three Hieracium species across the lower eastern South Island from the 1980s to the mid 2000s. We use data from 124 permanently‐marked vegetation transects that were established on 27 properties in non‐forest communities across Canterbury and Otago between 1982 and 1986 (first measurement). We report on the invasion patterns of the three most abundant Hieracium species: H. lepidulum, H. praealtum, and H. pilosella. Our analysis of this large‐scale, long‐term dataset summarises the last 25years of Hieracium invasion in the South Island high country. The analysis emphasises the importance of species interactions and initial composition in the spread of the three Hieracium species.