Modelling the distribution of the invasive Ziziphus mauritiana along road corridors in Zimbabwe
Date
2019Author
Mungate, Pauline N. P.
Masocha, Mhosisi
Dube, Timothy
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
We investigate how human fruit consumption affects the spread of the alien invasive
Ziziphus mauritiana along road corridors in northern Zimbabwe. A field survey was
conducted to identify and map Z. Mauritiana stems at 25 randomly located 6‐ha plots
placed along two main roads connecting the Zambezi Valley to the Highveld region.
The L‐function was used to test for evidence of significant spatial clustering of the
stems. The inhomogeneous point model fitted by maximum likelihood was also applied
to check whether distance from the road explains variation in the number of
stems per unit area. Finally, a t test was executed on log‐transformed abundance data
to test for significant differences in the mean number of saplings and adults between
the Zambezi Valley and the Highveld. Results of the L‐function indicated that Z. mauritiana
had a clustered and linear distribution along roads both in the Zambezi Valley
and Highveld regions. Results of the t test showed that the mean number of saplings
per plot in the Zambezi Valley (μ1 = 275) was three times higher than in the Highveld
(μ2 = 78), with p < 0.01. The mean number of adult trees was also significantly higher
in the Zambezi Valley than in the Highveld.