Celtis ehrenbergiana planting as a technique for the recovery of native forests invaded by Ligustrum lucidum in NE Buenos Aires
The establishment of alien plants in native ecosystems promotes biodiversity loss and impacts on ecological processes. Reverting that situation may require the remotion of alien species and the plantation of native species. Ligustrum lucidum is a common invasive tree in temperate and subtropical forests in Argentina. This species causes a high increase in the mortality of native trees in forests dominated by Celtis ehrenbergiana (talares). Native trees regeneration is almost null and then, there is no forest recovery. We carried out an experimental adult L. lucidum removal in two 500 m2 and two 200 m2 clearcuts. We planted C. ehrenbergiana produced in a greenhouse inside them, and in a peripheral area under the L. lucidum canopy. We observed higher mean height in the central area (68±3.3) of the clearcuts than in the edge (52.6±1.7) or the peripheral areas under the forest canopy (54.3±2.6). Plants in 500 m2 clearcuts exhibited lower height (53.9±3 and 66.5±4.9 cm) than those in 200 m2 clearcuts (82.6±9.9 and 91.3±8.5 cm). Probably plants in the central area of the clearcuts were subjected to a weak competition, for light and underground resources, in comparison with plants in edges or peripheral areas. It is possible that in the larger clearcuts a higher competitive effect from herbaceous plants combined with higher radiation and lesser wind protection determined a poorer performance of planted C. ehrenbergiana than in the smaller ones. We conclude that the establishment of C. ehrenbergiana in forest invaded by L. lucidum is possible using the applied techniques. The use of the wood of the harvested L. lucidum, which has good properties for different applications, might make more viable the implementation of the techniques evaluated.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | spa |
| Published: |
Asociación Argentina de Ecología
2016
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/176 |
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