Actas de congresos
Management Alternatives for Urochloa decumbens Stapf. (Poaceae) Biological Invasion in Brazilian Savannas
Fecha
2010-07-19Registro en:
International meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, 2010, Bali, Indonésia
Autor
Barbosa, Elizabeth Gorgone
Pivello, Vania Regina
Institución
Resumen
Urochloa decumbens is an African grass, highly competitive and aggressive that was introduced in Brazil for
cattle feeding and became one of the most serious invasive species in Brazilian savannas - Cerrado -, threatening
the native biodiversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different management
techniques to control the invasive grass Urochloa decumbens. The study was conducted in two Cerrado reserves
in São Paulo State, Brazil, from July/2007 toJuly/2009. Six cerrado patches infested by U. decumbens were
selected, and a randomized block design was applied with the treatments: clipping once a year (CRI) and twice a
year (CRII), clipping and soil grubbing once a year (CRSI) and twice a year (CRSII), shading with nylon mesh
(SOM), and smothering by covering with canvas (ABF). After the treatments all biomass in the blocks was cut
and separated into categories (U. decumbens, native grasses, and dicotyledonous species), in July/2008 (first
year) and July/2009 (second year). The analyses followed permutation tests. In the first year the treatments ABF,
CRII and CRSII statistically differed from control, showing to be the most effective to manage U. decumbens,
however in the second year the treatments CRI and CRSI also showed to be effective. Therefore, in two years of
management U. decumbens can be controlled by smothering and grubbing once a year (with or without soil
digging) in areas where the invasion is not very extensive, as edges or small isolated patches inside the native
fragments.