title: The global distribution of bamboos: assessing correlates of introduction and invasion.
abstract: There is a long history of species being moved around the world by humans. These introduced species can provide substantial benefits, but they can also have undesirable consequences. We explore the importance of human activities on the processes of species dissemination and potential invasions using the grass subfamily Bambusoideae ("bamboos"), a group that contains taxa that are widely utilised and that are often perceived as weedy. We (1) compiled an inventory of bamboo species and their current distributions; (2) determined which species have been introduced and become invasive outside their native ranges; and (3) explored correlates of introduction and invasion. Distribution data were collated from Kew's GrassBase, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and other online herbarium information sources. Our list comprised 1662 species in 121 genera, of which 232 (14%) have been introduced beyond their native ranges. Twelve species were found to be invasive. A non-random selection of bamboos have been introduced and become invasive. Asiatic species in particular have been widely introduced. There was a clear over-representation of introduced species in the genera Bambusa and Phyllostachys which also contain most of the listed invasive species. The introduction of species also correlated with certain traits: taxa with larger culm dimensions were significantly more likely to have been moved to new areas; and those with many cultivars had a higher rate of dissemination and invasion. It is difficult to determine whether the patterns of introduction and invasion are due simply to differences in propagule pressure, or whether humans have deliberately selected inherently invasive taxa. In general, we suggest that human usage is a stronger driver of introductions and invasions in bamboos than in other taxa that have been well studied. It is likely that as bamboos are used more widely, the number and impact of invasions will increase unless environmental risks are carefully managed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa sucanavan@gmail.com.|Invasive Species Programme, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canavan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa.|Invasive Species Programme, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa.|SEEC - Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701 South Africa.|African Climate and Development Initiative, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
authors.forename: Vernon
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Johannes J Le
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.affiliation: Comparative Plant & Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2AB, UK.
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vorontsova
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa.|Invasive Species Programme, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa.
authors.forename: John R U
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wilson
keywords: Bamboo; Bambusoideae; biological invasions; cultivars; introduced species; invasive species