Impacts of Phenology and Environmental Variation on the Reproductive Success of Invasive Willows

Invasive species are one of the greatest global threats to biodiversity. In order to effectively manage for invasive plants in particular, it is helpful to understand their spread at a landscape-scale. This thesis focusses on the reproductive ecology and phenology of a highly invasive willow species, Salix cinerea, found in the river systems of south-eastern Australia. Invaluable information was amassed to assist Victorian catchment managers in optimising their S. cinerea removal efforts. More broadly, this thesis quantifies the effects of elevation and climate on the fecundity of the species in Australia, and the greater genus on a global scale.