Eucalyptus camaldulensis in South Africa – past, present, future

Eucalyptus camaldulensis can be seen as an iconic tree of superlatives. It is the eucalypt with the widest native range, and one of the most widely planted eucalypts around the globe. In South Africa, it is the most widespread and the most aggressively invasive eucalypt. It has many uses, but also causes major impacts. However, little is known about key aspects of its ecology in South Africa, including its invasion history, invasion processes and dynamics, and people’s perceptions of its positive and negative effects on ecosystems. Such knowledge is crucial for developing robust and defendable guidelines for sustainable management of the species. This paper provides a comprehensive dossier of the species in South Africa. It reviews what is known of its introduction and planting history, its current distribution, its value for commercial forestry and other uses, its impacts as an invasive species, pests and pathogens associated with the species, people’s perceptions of the species and conflicts of interest, and the options for management and restoration. The review reveals that E. camaldulensis is a tree of many contradictions in South Africa, making it a poster-child example of a conflict-generating non-native species. Based on available knowledge, we assess options for improved management. We highlight several knowledge gaps which need to be addressed in more detail through future research. It is hoped that this species profile will serve as a model for the types of information that are needed for developing objective management strategies for non-native tree species in different parts of the world.赤桉（Eucalyptus camaldulensis）可被视为兼具多项极致特性的标志性树种。它是原生分布范围最广的桉属树种，也是全球范围内引种栽培最广泛的桉属树种之一。在南非，它是分布最广、入侵性最强的桉属树种。该树种兼具多种实用价值，同时也会带来严重的生态影响。然而，目前学界对南非境内该树种的关键生态学特征仍知之甚少，包括其入侵历史、入侵过程与动态，以及民众对其给生态系统带来的正负效应的认知。此类信息对于制定严谨且站得住脚的该树种可持续管理准则至关重要。本文针对南非境内的赤桉撰写了一份全面的研究概况，综述了该树种的引种与栽培历史、当前分布范围、商用林业及其他用途的价值、作为入侵物种造成的影响、与之相关的害虫与病原菌、民众对该树种的认知与利益冲突，以及其管理与修复的可选方案。本综述表明，在南非境内，赤桉是一个充满诸多矛盾的树种，堪称引发利益冲突的外来树种的典型范例。基于现有研究成果，本文评估了优化该树种管理的可行方案，同时指出了若干现有研究空白，亟待未来开展更深入的研究加以填补。期望这份赤桉物种概况能够为全球各地制定外来树种的客观化管理策略所需的信息框架提供参考范本。