Abstract Detail

Ecology

Bulu, Yetunde [1], Adewole, Moses [2], Faluyi, Julius [3].

The Effects of Aggressive use of Herbicides for Lawn Maintenance on Weeds Succession in Urban Environment.

This study investigates the effect of aggressive application of herbicide on weed succession in an urban environment in Ile-Ife, Osun State. An inspection of the communities was carried out to identify sites maintained by herbicides (test sites) and those without herbicide history (control sites). Four different experimental sites located at Olasode, Eleweran, Ife City and Parakin within Ile-Ife town were monitored during the study. Identification of plants to species level was carried out on each of the site and at every visit. Index of Similarities were used to determine the relationship in plant species composition between sites treated with herbicide and the untreated sites. A total of 77 weed species were enumerated on the experimental sites. At Olasode, 22 species were found in the control and 36 on the experimental site. The dominant plants on the experimental site were Centrosema pubescens, Bidens pilosa and Talinum triangulare. The Eleweran experimental site had 38 species and 14 species on the control site while in Ife City, 12 species were enumerated on the experimental site and 7 on the control. An increasing trend of plant species after treatment was thus observed in the experimental sites. Weed population also observed from the experimental sites showed an increase in species richness and diversity when the sites were left to recover compared to the control sites. While Talinum triangulare was found in abundance in the experimental sites study and soil seed banks, Stachytarpheta cayennesis initially present was lost from the plant community. Low Similarity Index between the treated sites and the control vegetation was observed at all visitations. Low similarity was also observed between the above-ground vegetation and the seed bank in all the sites. The study concluded that the absence of many dominant plants of the above-ground vegetation in the soil seed bank has implication in terms of the inability of the soil seed bank to regenerate the vegetation following disturbance with herbicide overtime. Throughout the entire period of the study, no case of resistance was suspected although there have been speculations about possible mechanisms of tolerance.

1 - Adekunle Ajasin University, Plant Science And Biotechnology, Akungba Akoko, Akungba, ON, 342111, Nigeria
2 - Obafemi Awolowo University, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
3 - Obafemi Awolowo University, Botany, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Keywords:
Herbicide
Soil Seed Bank
Succession
Index of Similarity.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: ECO2, Ecology 2: Invasive Plant Species
Location: Tucson A/Starr Pass
Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: ECO2008
Abstract ID:83
Candidate for Awards:None