Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae): Invasive or ruderal?

Abstract

(Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae): invader or ruderal?) Exotic species have not been recommended for degraded lands reforestation, since they are reported to invade natural ecosystems in the surrounding areas. Leucena leucocephala, a leguminous N fixing species, was introduced in Brazil and has been widely cultivated, especially to recover degraded soils. The potential of L. leucocephala to expand over the landscape and its persistence in the plant community in the long term was analyzed. A stand planted in 1983 was assessed, which was installed on a rocky soil, immerse in an agricultural matrix, where some native and planted forest patches exists. Over a 200 ha area, eleven distinct patches were surveyed, where all individuals from arboreal species (minimum height 50 cm) were identified and measured (dbh), to verify if the exotic species is expanding over areas where it has not been planted. In the stand where the species was planted, the community structure was assessed on the basis of relative density in size classes to verify if the proportion of the exotic species tends to increase with time, confirming persistence. Since, among the total of 4,599 individuals surveyed, not even a single individual of the species was recorded beyond the limits of the planted stand, invasion of natural ecosystems by Leucena leucocephala was refuted, the species being locally considered as ruderal. Even though a huge number of young individuals of L. leucocephala are regenerating under the planted trees, the relative density of the exotic species in the understorey tends to decrease with time. Apparently, some shade tolerant native species can slowly dominate the community in the future, taking advantage under light competition.