Acacia saligna is a bushy shrub dividing near the base into several stems, resulting in a dense bush that may be wider than high. The shrub form is usually 2 - 5 m tall but it can form a small tree 5 -9 m high, with a short but well-defined main stem (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). Its natural occurence on the coastal plain of south-western Western Australia is mainly from sea-level up to 300 m and it occurs on many soil types, especially on poor and calcareous sands (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). A. saligna coppices well and fodder biomass production is optimised by regular, annual harvesting, benefitting from fertilisation on infertile soils (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). In common with many other acacias, A. saligna forms associations with VA mycorrhizal fungi (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). It has an average lifespan of 30 - 40 years (Milton & Hall, 1981; in Wood & Morris, 2007).

Plantations of Acacia saligna in warm-temperate and semi-arid areas provide stock fodder, soil stabilisation, fuelwood and charcoal (Midgley & Turnbull, 2003). In Australia, A. saligna has been used as an ornamental plant, for low windbreaks and shade, and is increasingly planted in agroforestry systems for fodder production and soil conservation (Crompton, 1992; in Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). Its fast growing, coppicing ability and capacity to thrive on sands and soils of high pH in subhumid, semi-arid and arid temperaure areas has led to it being planted widely around the world with an estimated 300 000 ha planted globally, being identified as one of three priority multipurpose species for arid and semi-arid zones by FAO’s Silvae Mediterranea Network (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). In Tunisia, it has been successfully processed into particle board, while in the Mediterranean, it is used for vine stakes and small agricultural implements (Michaelides, 1997; in Midgely & Turnbull, 2003). It is also used extensively for sand dune fixation and gully erosion control; planted in Australia to rehabilitate areas mined for coal and minerals (Langkamp, 1987; in Midgely & Turnbull, 2003).

Acacia saligna is capable of thriving on many soil types, including high pH sands and soils in subhumid, semi-arid and arid temperate areas (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003).

Annual seed production of Acacia saligna is about 10 000 seeds per 1 square metre of canopy cover (Milton & Hall, 1981; in Henderson et al 1998). While most of these fall straight onto the ground; seeds are dispersed by birds (Henderson et al 1998). A large portion of these seeds remain dormant due to a water-impermeable testa (Rolston, 1978; in Henderson et al 1998), resulting in a large seed bank build up of about 46 000 seeds per square metre of canopy cover (Holmes et al 1987). Dormancy is broken following a fire, allowing for mass regeneration of A. saligna; resulting in dense thickets in some parts of its introduced range such as South Africa (Henderson et al 1998).

Acacis saligna has been distributed on a global level due to its many uses and ability to thrive in harsh environments (Midgely & Turnbull, 2003).

In areas where it has become invasive, Acacia saligna is known to form dense monospecific stands, excluding native species and preventing their regeneration (Holmes & Cowling, 1997; Hadjikyriakou & Hadjisterkotis, 2002). It also alters vital ecosystem proceses; changing the soil processes like decomposition and nutrient cycling through incresed nitrogen levels (Witkowski, 1991a; Jovonovic et al 2009); altering the fire-regime with large soil seed-banks and more abundant biomass (Holmes, 2002); and impacting on streamflow reduction through incremental water use (Le Maitre et al 2000; in Jovonovic et al 2009). A. saligna is also known as an agricultural pest in some cultivated areas, taking up valuable agricultural space (Hadjikyriakou & Hadjisterkotis, 2002).

Physical/Chemical: Physical and chemical control methods are possible but is very labour and cost intensive due to persistent seed banks and the coppicing capability of A. saligna (MacDonald & Wissel, 1992). These include cutting at ground level, mattocking, ringbarking and Glyphosate or Triclopyr based herbicides foliarly applied or painted onto cut stems (MacDonald & Wissel, 1992).

The reduction of the seed-bank is an important component of controlling A. saligna (Holmes, 1990; in Cohen et al., 2008). This is most often achieved with burning, with a slow intense fire more effective than a rapid one (Richardson & Kluge, 2008). Soil solarisation has also been shown to be effective in reducing A. saligna seed viability in moist soils and increasing germination rates in dry soils (Cohen et al 2008).

Biological: Biological control has been effective in South Africa, with the gall-forming rust fungus Uromycladium tepperianum being effective in reducing population density, tree longevity and reproductive output wherever A. saligna is found (Morris, 1997; Wood & Morris, 2007). An addtional biological control agent, Melanterius compactus, was released in 2001 to target the large seed-banks created before the release of U. tepperianum with preliminary monitoring showing success (Impson et al., 2009).

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