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The Chinese Tallow tree, Triadica sebifera, is a tree native to eastern Asia and is becoming an invasive species in the southeastern United States due to it naturally occurring in similar latitudes of southeastern United States which provides a similar habitat and climate for the Chinese tallow to be a successful invader (1). Triadica sebifera has become a successful invader due to it's evolution of increased competitive ability in that it has evolved reduced efforts in defense and increased efforts in growth and reproduction owing to the lower herbivore activity in its introduced range (2,3) . Triadica sebifera underwent beneficial changes when it moved from its natural habitat to its introduced range in southeastern United States (2). The Chinese tallow tree is providing problems for the gulf coast region because of its invasive abilities (4). According to Nature Conservancy, in 1996 the chinese tallow tree was named one of the worst plant invaders in the United States (3). |
The Chinese Tallow tree, Triadica sebifera, is a tree native to eastern Asia and is becoming an invasive species in the southeastern United States due to it naturally occurring in similar latitudes of southeastern United States which provides a similar habitat and climate for the Chinese tallow to be a successful invader (1). Triadica sebifera has become a successful invader due to it's evolution of increased competitive ability in that it has evolved reduced efforts in defense and increased efforts in growth and reproduction owing to the lower herbivore activity in its introduced range (2,3) . Triadica sebifera underwent beneficial changes when it moved from its natural habitat to its introduced range in southeastern United States (2). The Chinese tallow tree is providing problems for the gulf coast region because of its invasive abilities (4). According to Nature Conservancy, in 1996 the chinese tallow tree was named one of the worst plant invaders in the United States (3). |
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The Chinese tallow tree was introduced in 1772 by Benjamin Franklin as a cash crop in that with it's chemicals one could produce candles (10). During the early 20th century the Foreign Plant Introduction Division of the USDA recommended the cultivation of the Chinese tallow tree in the southeast in order to create a commercial soap industry (10). As a result of this the Chinese tallow has rapidly spread throughout the southeast in its use as an ornamental tree and as well for its seed oil production (10). In Chinese ethnobotany, the Chinese tallow provides medicinal products, fuel, and other products for over 15 centuries (10). Since the Chinese tallow is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae, the tree produces many phenolic compounds including tannins, which have exhibited anti-cancer properties, making the Chinese tallow an extremely important resource for discovering medicine to combat widespread diseases such as cancer (10) The Chinese tallow tree has many medicinal uses including the tallow providing a remedy for treating wounds and sores, a blood purifying agent, a diuretic, a laxative, among many other uses (10). Overall the tallow extremely useful as a cash crop and as a tree providing many medicinal uses which improve public health (10). |
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In it's native habitat, Triadica sebifera has costly herbivore defenses that require large amounts of energy and resources when there is damage to leaves owing to increased herbivore activity (2). Whereas in southeastern United States, Triadica sebifera produces much less costly tissue or herbivore defense which is capable of rapid regeneration (2). This may be due to that fact that the Chinese tallow tree has leaves which contain highly toxic chemicals known as phenolic compounds, Beta-glucogallin, chlorogenic acid, tercatain, chebulagic acid, and geranin, which causes low herbivory to the Chinese tallow tree and gives it a higher competitive edge (3). For example, In Texas, The Chinese tallow tree has changed the flora from native coastal grasslands to woodlands filled with mainly Chinese Tallow trees (3). Generalist herbivores avoid the Chinese tallow in its introduced range (3). Another reason why the tallow is extremely invasive plant species is because of it's ability to adapt to a wide range of soils including alkaline, acidic, and saline soils (1). Triadica sebifera is able to tolerate periods of flooding, freezing, drought, and high sun and shade exposure (1). |
In it's native habitat, Triadica sebifera has costly herbivore defenses that require large amounts of energy and resources when there is damage to leaves owing to increased herbivore activity (2). Whereas in southeastern United States, Triadica sebifera produces much less costly tissue or herbivore defense which is capable of rapid regeneration (2). This may be due to that fact that the Chinese tallow tree has leaves which contain highly toxic chemicals known as phenolic compounds, Beta-glucogallin, chlorogenic acid, tercatain, chebulagic acid, and geranin, which causes low herbivory to the Chinese tallow tree and gives it a higher competitive edge (3). For example, In Texas, The Chinese tallow tree has changed the flora from native coastal grasslands to woodlands filled with mainly Chinese Tallow trees (3). Generalist herbivores avoid the Chinese tallow in its introduced range (3). Another reason why the tallow is extremely invasive plant species is because of it's ability to adapt to a wide range of soils including alkaline, acidic, and saline soils (1). Triadica sebifera is able to tolerate periods of flooding, freezing, drought, and high sun and shade exposure (1). |
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9. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964410002495 |
9. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964410002495 |
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10. http://www.fleppc.org/Manage_Plans/Tallow_Plan.pdf |
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Revision as of 01:39, 1 December 2011
3 Possible Illustrations: 1) Many Chinese Tallow Trees surrounding one Cyprus Tree. 2) Herbivores, grasshoppers, feeding on a native tree species leaves which is adjacent to the Chinese Tallow owing to the acidity in the Chinese Tallow's leaves. 3) Many Chinese Tallow Trees living in high salt walter area as other native trees die out.
The Chinese Tallow tree, Triadica sebifera, is a tree native to eastern Asia and is becoming an invasive species in the southeastern United States due to it naturally occurring in similar latitudes of southeastern United States which provides a similar habitat and climate for the Chinese tallow to be a successful invader (1). Triadica sebifera has become a successful invader due to it's evolution of increased competitive ability in that it has evolved reduced efforts in defense and increased efforts in growth and reproduction owing to the lower herbivore activity in its introduced range (2,3) . Triadica sebifera underwent beneficial changes when it moved from its natural habitat to its introduced range in southeastern United States (2). The Chinese tallow tree is providing problems for the gulf coast region because of its invasive abilities (4). According to Nature Conservancy, in 1996 the chinese tallow tree was named one of the worst plant invaders in the United States (3).
The Chinese tallow tree was introduced in 1772 by Benjamin Franklin as a cash crop in that with it's chemicals one could produce candles (10). During the early 20th century the Foreign Plant Introduction Division of the USDA recommended the cultivation of the Chinese tallow tree in the southeast in order to create a commercial soap industry (10). As a result of this the Chinese tallow has rapidly spread throughout the southeast in its use as an ornamental tree and as well for its seed oil production (10). In Chinese ethnobotany, the Chinese tallow provides medicinal products, fuel, and other products for over 15 centuries (10). Since the Chinese tallow is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae, the tree produces many phenolic compounds including tannins, which have exhibited anti-cancer properties, making the Chinese tallow an extremely important resource for discovering medicine to combat widespread diseases such as cancer (10) The Chinese tallow tree has many medicinal uses including the tallow providing a remedy for treating wounds and sores, a blood purifying agent, a diuretic, a laxative, among many other uses (10). Overall the tallow extremely useful as a cash crop and as a tree providing many medicinal uses which improve public health (10).
In it's native habitat, Triadica sebifera has costly herbivore defenses that require large amounts of energy and resources when there is damage to leaves owing to increased herbivore activity (2). Whereas in southeastern United States, Triadica sebifera produces much less costly tissue or herbivore defense which is capable of rapid regeneration (2). This may be due to that fact that the Chinese tallow tree has leaves which contain highly toxic chemicals known as phenolic compounds, Beta-glucogallin, chlorogenic acid, tercatain, chebulagic acid, and geranin, which causes low herbivory to the Chinese tallow tree and gives it a higher competitive edge (3). For example, In Texas, The Chinese tallow tree has changed the flora from native coastal grasslands to woodlands filled with mainly Chinese Tallow trees (3). Generalist herbivores avoid the Chinese tallow in its introduced range (3). Another reason why the tallow is extremely invasive plant species is because of it's ability to adapt to a wide range of soils including alkaline, acidic, and saline soils (1). Triadica sebifera is able to tolerate periods of flooding, freezing, drought, and high sun and shade exposure (1).
E. Glumac performed a case study on the Chinese tallow tree (7). During the study, seedlings from the tallow tree were gathered from Taiwan, part of the tallow's native range in asia, and from its introduced range in Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas (7). These seedlings were grown in a greenhouse and after the 14th growth year some alarming results were gathered (7). In the tallow's introduced range the girth or basal area was much larger than that of it's native range in Taiwan (7). The percentage of trees producing seeds was also much higher in the introduced range compared with the native range (7). The foliar carbon to nitrogen ratio, or the tree's nutritional value to herbivores, was much higher in the introduced range compared with the native range (7). The amount of tannin, chemical defense, was much higher in seedlings from the native range compared with the seedlings of the introduced range (7). Overall these results support the hypothesis that the chinese tallow is extremely invasive due to it's evolution of an increased competitive ability (2,3). The tallow allocates more of it's resources for growth and reproduction in its introduced range due to the lack of competitors and predators which it tolerated in it's native range (2,3)
Warren C. Conway, Loren M. Smith, and James F. Bergan conducted an experiment to test if the Chinese tallow has any alleopathic effects on neighboring trees, the black willow and the bald cypress (8). In order to test this, extracts from the tallow litter, soil under the tallow, and fresh tallow leaves were collected from the tallow in October, January, April, and July to determine if there were any seasonal differences in it's alleopathic effects(5). The test attempted to observe if the germination, root length, shoot length, and seedling mass differed with any combination of tallow litter, tallow soil, and tallow leaves (8). Overall, there was no correlation between altered germination, root and shoot length, and seedling mass when the baldcypress and black willow were exposed with the various tallow treatments (8). Although, when the tallow was exposed with it's own soil, leaves, and plant litter, the researchers observed increased germination and seedling growth (8). This fact may support the theory that the tallow has little to no alleopathic effects on neighboring trees, but that the tallow is increasing it's own growth, reproduction, and dispersal through self facilitation, when exposed to it's own plant litter, leaves, and soil (8).
In order to control the invasive chinese tallow tree, a number of physical and chemical actions can take place to subdue the rapidly spreading tree (6). For smaller tree less than three feet, hand removal is the most inexpensive and effective means of control (6). In order to stop the dispersal of seeds from larger trees, sawing is recommended (6). Although the remaining stumps will require some herbicidal treatment to inhibit the spread of the seedlings (6). Fire is another effective way to inhibit the the spread of the tallow (6). Fire tends to kill the top half of the tree but doesn't quell the re-sprouting of the tree (6). Although burning in the dormant season then in the growing season proves to be quite effective (6). Chemical control is an effective way to kill the tallow after being cut down to the stump (6). An effective chemical treatment requires the spraying of a band around the trunk of the tree with triclopyr, a basal bark herbicidal application (6). Another effective treatment is using imazapyr which a soil-active herbicide (6). Biological control using Bikasha collaris, a beetle native to Asia, is an effective biocontrol agent (9). Bikasha collaris feeds on Triadica sebifera in it's native range due to the beetle's tolerance of the tallow's biochemical defense, tannin (9). Although, the beetle has no been introduced to the Southeastern United States due to the lack of knowledge on what collateral damage the beetle will cause in it's introduced environment (9).
In the southeastern United States, coastal wetlands are being threatened by the increase in sea levels, increase in hurricane activity, and increase in invasive species, Triadica sebifera 4. Louisiana's wetland are disappearing at a rate up to 90 square kilometers a year, among the highest land loss rates in the world (5). As sea levels rise and hurricane activity increases, flooding and salinity are killing off native trees, cyprus trees, which are crucial part of the gulf coast storm surge protection (4). In studies, seedlings of the Triadica sebifera exhibit higher tolerance of flooding and salinity than to the native cyprus tree (4).
Sources: 1. The Invasive Potential of Chinese Tallow-Tree (Sapium sebiferum Roxb.) in The Southeast. G. Jubinsky and Loran C. Anderson Castanea Vol. 6, No.3(Sep., 1996), pp226-231 ((http://www.jstor.org/pss/4033675))
2. ROGERS, W. E. and SIEMANN, E. (2004), Invasive ecotypes tolerate herbivory more effectively than native ecotypes of the Chinese tallow tree Sapium sebiferum. Journal of Applied Ecology, 41: 561–570. ((http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00914.x/full))
3. An investigation of the allelopathic potential of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferumRoxb). Amy L. Johnson Rice University (May., 2006) UMI Number: 1435734 ((http://scholarship.rice.edu/bitstream/handle/1911/17886/1435734.PDF?sequence=1))
4.The Effect of Salinity and Waterlogging on Growth and Survival of Baldcypress and Chinese Tallow Seedlings. William H. Conner Journal of Coastal Research Vol. 10, No. 4 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 1045-1049 ((http://www.jstor.org/pss/4298295)) 5.Science 15 September 2000: Vol. 289 no. 5486 pp. 1860-1863 DOI: 10.1126/science.289.5486.1860
6. http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&si=712&sts
7. Lee, C. E. Evolutionary genetics of invasive species. Trends in Ecology and Evolution (Aug 2002) 17: 386-391
9. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964410002495