Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Imperial Palm (Roystonea oleracea (Jacq.) O.F. Cook) as an invasive species of a wetland in Brazilian Atlantic forest

  • Short communication
  • Published:
Wetlands Ecology and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the population structure of an exotic palm, Roystonea oleracea (Arecaceae), map its spatial distribution and investigate its invasive status in an Atlantic forest wetland. A total of 130 live and 7 dead standing palms ≥10 cm DBH were sampled. Data showed a trend towards population expansion, with most seedlings and saplings occurring within a radius of ~12 m from the mother plants but some larger trees (DBH >10 cm) up to 440 m from the parents. This exotic species is established and has the potential to become invasive, especially near wetlands. Its control or eradication should be undertaken and we suggest the immediate removal of reproductive individuals, and constant monitoring of young individuals leading to their future removal. Use of this species as an ornamental should be made with care to prevent or reduce possible harmful effects of this exotic and potentially invasive species in Brazilian wetlands.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Abreu RCR, Rodrigues PFP (2010) Exotic tree Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae) invades the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Rodriguésia 61:677–688

    Google Scholar 

  • Aguiar A Jr, Barbosa RI, Barbosa JBF, Jr Mourão M (2013) Invasion of Acacia mangium in Amazonian savannas following planting for forestry. Plant Ecol Divers. doi:10.1080/17550874.20

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonadie WA (1998) The ecology of Roystonea oleracea palm swamp forest in the Nariva Swamp (Trinidad). Wetlands 18:249–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonadie WA, Bacon PR (2000) Year-round utilisation of fragmented palm swamp forest by Red-bellied macaws (Ara manilata) and Orange-winged parrots (Amazona amazonica) in the Nariva Swamp (Trinidad). Biol Cons 95:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broschat TK (1994) Palm seed propagation. Acta Hort 360:141–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho FA, Nascimento MT, Oliveira-Filho AT (2008) Composição, riqueza e heterogeneidade da flora arbórea da bacia do rio São João (estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil). Acta Bot Brasil 22:929–940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Elboux RMM (2006) Uma promenade nos trópicos: os barões do café sob as palmeiras-imperiais, entre o Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo. An Mus Paul 14:193–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dean W (2001) A Botânica e a política imperial: introdução e adaptação de plantas no Brasil Colonial e Imperial. Estudos Avançados, São Paulo

    Google Scholar 

  • Dislich R, Kisser N, Pivello VR (2002) A invasão de um fragmento florestal em São Paulo (SP) pela palmeira australiana Archontophoenix cunninghamiana H. Wendl Drude Rev Brasil Bot 25:55–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Essl F, Dullinger S, Kleinbauer I (2009) Changes in the spatio-temporal patterns and habitat preferences of Ambrosia artemisiifolia during the invasion of Austria. Preslia 81:119–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardener MR, Bustamante RO, Herrera I et al (2011) Plant invasions research in Latin America: fast track to a more focused agenda. Plant Ecol Divers 5:225–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson A, Galeano G, Bernal R (1995) Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • ICMBIO (2007) Plano de manejo da Reserva Biológica União. Encarte 1. Brasília

  • Kaiser J (1999) Stemming the tide of invasive species. Science 285:1836–1841

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leak WB (1965) The J-shaped probability distribution. For Sci 11:405–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzi H, Souza HM, Medeiros-Costa JT, Cerqueira LSC, Behr NV (1996) Palmeiras no Brasil: nativas e exóticas. Editora Plantarum, Nova Odessa

    Google Scholar 

  • Maciel N (2001) Emergencia de la palma real venezolana (Roystonea oleraceae (Jacq.) O.F. Cook) en función de condiciones variables del fruto y la semilla. Bioagro 13:105–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Mack RN, Simberloff D, Lonsdale WM, Evans H, Clout M, Bazzaz FA (2000) Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control. Ecol Appl 10:689–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mancina CA, García-Rivera L, Capote RT (2007) Habitat use by phyllostomid bat assemblages in secondary forests of the ‘Sierra del Rosario’ Biosphere Reserve Cuba. Acta Chiropterol 9:203–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Münzbergova Z, Hadincová V, Wild J, Herben T, Maresova J (2010) Spatial and temporal variation in dispersal pattern of an invasive pine. Biol Invasions 12:2471–2486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petenon D, Pivello VR (2008) Plantas invasoras: representatividade da pesquisa dos países tropicais no contexto mundial. Natureza Conservação 6:65–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Pires AS (2006) Perda de Diversidade de Palmeiras em Fragmentos de Mata Atlântica: Padrões e Processos. PhD thesis, Universidade Estadual Paulista

  • Ramirez N, Arroyo MK (1990) Estrutura populacional de Copaifera pubiflora Benth. (Leguminosae, Caesalpinoideae) em los lhanos centrales de Venezuela. Biotropica 22:124–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson DM, Pyšek P (2012) Naturalization of introduced plants: ecological drivers of biogeographical patterns. New Phytol 196:383–396

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson DM, Pyšek P, Rejmánek M, Barbour MG, Panetta FD, West CJ (2000) Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions. Divers Distrib 6:93–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strayer D (2012) Eight questions about invasions and ecosystem function. Ecol Lett 15:1199–1210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Svenning JC (2002) Non-native ornamental palms invade a secondary tropical forest in Panama. Palms 46:81–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Zenni R, Simberloff D (2013) Numer of source populations as a potential driver of pine invasions in Brazil. Biol Invasions. doi:10.1007/S10530-012-0397-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Zenni R, Ziller SR (2011) An overview of invasive plants in Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Botânica 34:431–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zona S, Henderson A (1989) A review of animal-mediated seed dispersal of palms. Selbyana 11:6–21

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

To Carlos Lamartine Torres Mello (ICMBIO- União Biological Reserve) for help with GIS and preparation of the map and Whitson Costa Junior, the Head of the União Biological Reserve for logistic support. To Helmo S. Carvalho for field assistance. The National Research Council of Brazil (CNPq) provided a productivity grant to Marcelo Trindade Nascimento. We thank Laszlo Nagy and Reinaldo I. Barbosa for comments on the draft manuscript. We also thank James Ratter for English revision and very helpful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-graduação de Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Pq. Califórnia, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-620, Brazil

    Marcelo Trindade Nascimento, Roberta Miranda de Araújo, Maurício Lima Dan & Eduardo Barros Fagundes Netto

  2. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Jardim Botânico, 915, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22460-030, Brazil

    João Marcelo Alvarenga Braga

Authors
  1. Marcelo Trindade Nascimento
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roberta Miranda de Araújo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maurício Lima Dan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Eduardo Barros Fagundes Netto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. João Marcelo Alvarenga Braga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcelo Trindade Nascimento.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nascimento, M.T., de Araújo, R.M., Dan, M.L. et al. The Imperial Palm (Roystonea oleracea (Jacq.) O.F. Cook) as an invasive species of a wetland in Brazilian Atlantic forest. Wetlands Ecol Manage 21, 367–371 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-013-9306-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-013-9306-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation