Acacia dealbata
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Plantae
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliopsida
Fabales
Fabaceae
  • Not Evaluated
    NE
  • No Alien Population
    NA
  • Data Deficient
    DD
  • Minimal Concern
    MC
  • Minor
    MN
  • Moderate
    MO
  • Major
    MR
  • Massive
    MV
  • General
  • Distribution
  • Impact
  • Management
  • Bibliography
  • Contact
Common name
 
Synonym
Similar species
Summary

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Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2026) Species profile: Acacia dealbata. Downloaded from http://iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/Acacia+dealbata on 03-03-2026.

Countries (or multi-country features) with distribution records for Acacia dealbata
ALIEN RANGE
NATIVE RANGE
Informations on Acacia dealbata has been recorded for the following locations. Click on the name for additional informations.
Lorem Ipsum
Location Status Invasiveness Occurrence Source
Details of Acacia dealbata in information
Status
Invasiveness
Arrival date
Occurrence
Source
Introduction
Species notes for this location
Location note
Management notes for this location
Impact
Mechanism:
Outcome:
Ecosystem services:
Management information
Bibliography
34 references found for Acacia dealbata

Management information
Ahmad S, Lisborg M, Moshøj CM, Gausset Q, de Neergaard AF (2003) Future Prospects and Limitations for the Sustainable Management of Wattle and Its Possible Alternatives. https://sluse.dk/project/South-Africa_future_prospects_and_limitations_for_the_sustainable_management_of_wattle.pdf
Vundla TS (2018) Using remote sensing to estimate the impacts of wattle species on native grass vegetation. PHD Thesis. University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg).
Aguilera N, Becerra J, Guedes LM, Villaseñor-Parada C, González L, Hernández V (2015) Allelopathic effect of the invasive Acacia dealbata Link (Fabaceae) on two native plant species in south-central Chile/Efecto alelopático de la invasora Acacia dealbata Link (Fabaceae) en dos especies de plantas nativas del centro-sur de Chile. Gayana. Botanica 72: 231.
Aguilera N, Becerra J, Villaseñor-Parada C, Lorenzo P, González L, Hernández V (2015) Effects and identification of chemical compounds released from the invasive Acacia dealbata Link. Chemistry and Ecology 31: 479-493.
Aguilera N, Guedes LM, Becerra J, Baeza C, Hernández V (2015) Morphological effects at radicle level by direct contact of invasive Acacia dealbata Link. Flora-Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 215: 54-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2015.07.007
Carballeira A, Reigosa MJ (2017) Studies on the Allelopathic Potential of Acacia dealbata Link. Allelopathic Potential Produced During Litter Bag Decomposition of Plant residues in the Field. Journal of Allelochemical Interactions 3: 19-35. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Manuel-Reigosa-Roger/publication/319986907_Studies_on_the_Allelopathic_Potential_of_Acacia_dealbata_Link_Allelopathic_Potential_Produced_During_Litter_Bag_Decomposition_of_Plant_residues_in_the_Field/links/59c515a6aca272c71bb8d2e2/Studies-on-the-Allelopathic-Potential-of-Acacia-dealbata-Link-Allelopathic-Potential-Produced-During-Litter-Bag-Decomposition-of-Plant-residues-in-the-Field.pdf
Coetzee BWT, Van Rensburg BJ, Robertson MP (2007) Invasion of grasslands by silver wattle, Acacia dealbata (Mimosaceae), alters beetle (Coleoptera) assemblage structure. African entomology 15: 328-339. https://doi.org/10.4001/1021-3589-15.2.328
Garcia RA, Fuentes-Ramírez A, Pauchard A (2012) Effects of two nitrogen-fixing invasive plants species on soil chemical properties in south-central Chile. Gayana Botánica 69: 189-192.
González-Muñoz N, Costa-Tenorio M, Espigares T (2012) Invasion of alien Acacia dealbata on Spanish Quercus robur forests: Impact on soils and vegetation. Forest Ecology and Management 269: 214-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2011.12.026
Guisande-Collazo A, González L, Souza-Alonso P (2016) Impact of an invasive nitrogen-fixing tree on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the development of native species. AoB Plants 8. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plw018
Kamutando CN, Vikram S, Kamgan-Nkuekam G, Makhalanyane TP, Greve M, Le Roux JJ, Richardson DM, Cowan DA, Valverde A (2019) The functional potential of the rhizospheric microbiome of an invasive tree species, Acacia dealbata. Microbial ecology 77: 191-200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1214-0
Kamutando CN, Vikram S, Kamgan-Nkuekam G, Makhalanyane TP, Greve M, Le Roux JJ, Richardson DM, Cowan D, Valverde A (2017) Soil nutritional status and biogeography influence rhizosphere microbial communities associated with the invasive tree Acacia dealbata. Scientific reports 7: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07018-w
Lazzaro L, Giuliani C, Fabiani A, Agnelli AE, Pastorelli R, Lagomarsino A, Benesperi R, Calamassi R, Foggi B (2014) Soil and plant changing after invasion: the case of Acacia dealbata in a Mediterranean ecosystem. Science of the total environment 497: 491-498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.08.014
Lorenzo P, Palomera-Pérez A, Reigosa MJ, González L (2011) Allelopathic interference of invasive Acacia dealbata Link on the physiological parameters of native understory species. Plant Ecology 212: 403-412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-010-9831-9
Lorenzo P, Pazos-Malvido E, González L, Reigosa MJ (2008) Allelopathic interference of invasive Acacia dealbata: physiological effects. Allelopathy Journal 22: 64-76. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luis-Gonzalez-164/publication/235430652_Allelopathic_interference_of_invasive_Acacia_dealbata_Physiological_effects/links/542d62550cf277d58e8cc289/Allelopathic-interference-of-invasive-Acacia-dealbata-Physiological-effects.pdf
Lorenzo P, Pazos-Malvido E, Reigosa MJ, González L (2010) Differential responses to allelopathic compounds released by the invasive Acacia dealbata Link (Mimosaceae) indicate stimulation of its own seed. Australian Journal of Botany 58: 546-553. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT10094
Lorenzo P, Pazos-Malvido E, Rubido-Bará M, Reigosa MJ, González L (2012) Invasion by the leguminous tree Acacia dealbata (Mimosaceae) reduces the native understorey plant species in different communities. Australian Journal of Botany 60: 669-675. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT12036
Lorenzo P, Pereira CS, Rodríguez-Echeverría S (2013) Differential impact on soil microbes of allelopathic compounds released by the invasive Acacia dealbata Link. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 57: 156-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.08.018
Lorenzo P, Rodríguez-Echeverría S, Freitas H (2013) No allelopathic effect of the invader Acacia dealbata on the potential infectivity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from native soils. European journal of soil biology 58: 42-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2013.06.003
Lorenzo P, Rodríguez-Echeverría S, González L, Freitas H (2010) Effect of invasive Acacia dealbata Link on soil microorganisms as determined by PCR-DGGE. Applied Soil Ecology 44: 245-251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2010.01.001
Lorenzo P, Rodríguez J, González L, Rodríguez-Echeverría S (2017) Changes in microhabitat, but not allelopathy, affect plant establishment after Acacia dealbata invasion. Journal of Plant Ecology 10: 610-617. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtw061
Montesinos D, Correia M, Castro S, French K, Rodríguez-Echeverría S (2018) Diminishing importance of elaiosomes for acacia seed removal in non-native ranges. Evolutionary Ecology 32: 601-621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-018-9959-y
Rodríguez-Echeverría S, Afonso C, Correia M, Lorenzo P, Roiloa SR (2013) The effect of soil legacy on competition and invasion by Acacia dealbata Link. Plant Ecology 214: 1139-1146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-013-0238-2
Rodríguez J, Thompson V, Rubido-Bará M, Cordero-Rivera A, González L (2019) Herbivore accumulation on invasive alien plants increases the distribution range of generalist herbivorous insects and supports proliferation of non-native insect pests. Biological Invasions 21: 1511-1527. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-01913-1
Souza-Alonso P, González L, Cavaleiro C (2014) Ambient has become strained. Identification of Acacia dealbata Link volatiles interfering with germination and early growth of native species. Journal of chemical ecology 40: 1051-1061. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-014-0498-x
Souza-Alonso P, Guisande-Collazo A, González L (2015) Gradualism in Acacia dealbata Link invasion: impact on soil chemistry and microbial community over a chronological sequence. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 80: 315-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.10.022
Souza-Alonso P, Novoa A, González L (2014) Soil biochemical alterations and microbial community responses under Acacia dealbata Link invasion. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 79: 100-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.09.008
van der Merwe J (2007) The impact of silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) on small mammal assemblages in the Sani Pass region of the Drakensberg. Honours Thesis. Stellenbosch University. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/263
General information
Contact
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MR
Acacia dealbata
Date assessed
2020-09-27
Year published
2022
Eicat category
MR (Major)
Justification for EICAT assessment


Acacia dealbata caused a decline in native species diversity, richness and plant cover, as well as changed soil composition (Lazzaro et al., 2014, Kamutando et al., 2019, Lorenzo et al., 2012, Vundla, 2018, da Silva et al., 2019, Souza-Alonso et al., 2015, Fuentes-Ramírez et al., 2010, Ahmad et al., 2003). Allelochemicals released led to reduction in bacterial richness and diversity (Lorenzo et al., 2013), and fungal richness and diversity was reduced (Lorenzo et al., 2010). Insect abundance and species richness declined in invaded areas (Rodríguez et al., 2020, Coetzee et al., 2007), as well as bird diversity (da Silva et al., 2019).
Confidence rating
Low
Mechanism(s) of maximum impact
Chemical impact on ecosystem; Competition; Physical Impact on ecosystem; Indirect impacts through interactions with other species; Structural Impact on ecosystem; Chemical impact on ecosystems; Poisoning/ toxicity
Countries of most severe impact
South Africa; Chile; Italy; NW Iberian Peninsula; Portugal; Spain
Description of impacts
Impact categories ranged from minimal concern to major. A. dealbata often changed chemical properties of soil or had poisoning/toxic impact on invaded environment. A. dealbata also had indirect impacts impacts on groups such as pollinators, plants and herbivores. A. dealbata changed physical and structural properties of the environments it invaded. Competition also common as A. dealbata competes for resources with native species.
Assessor
Cally Jansen
Contributors
Reviewers
EICAT authority
Recommended citation
Cally Jansen (2026). Acacia dealbata. IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT).