Population structure of the invasive species Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae) in a seasonal semi-deciduous forest, southern Brazil
Janete T. Costa A B , Inês C. B. Fonseca B C and Edmilson Bianchini D E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Instituto Ambiental do Paraná, Rua Brasil, 1115, 86 010-2010, Londrina, PR, Brasil.
B Programa de Pós Graduação em Agronomia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Cx. Postal 10.011, 86 057-970, Londrina, PR, Brasil.
C Departamento de Agronomia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Cx. Postal 10.011, 86 057-970, Londrina, PR, Brasil.
D Departamento de Biologia Animal e Vegetal, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Cx. Postal 10.011, 86 057-970, Londrina, PR, Brasil.
E Corresponding author. Email: bianchi@uel.br
Australian Journal of Botany 63(7) 590-596 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT14308
Submitted: 30 September 2014 Accepted: 15 July 2015 Published: 24 August 2015
Abstract
Biological invasions are one of the great threats of our time, and the accumulation of knowledge of invasive species is essential for invasive species management. In this study, aspects of the population ecology of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit were investigated in a seasonal semi-deciduous forest remnant (23°15ʹ28ʹʹS, 51°01ʹ52ʹʹW – centre of the remnant) in Southern Brazil to evaluate whether the species is invading the remnant. In the first season, 1974 individuals, distributed heterogeneously in the remnant, were sampled. The population height structure fitted a negative exponential growth curve function (r2 = 0.9), indicating that the population was persisting through recruitment. The population also had a grouped spatial pattern and high recruitment rate. The species invaded the disturbed areas of the remnant. Gradual eradication is recommended for L. leucocephala for the remnant.
Additional keywords: alien species, conservation unit, disturbance, height growth, size hierarchy, spatial structure.
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