Aspectos da interação entre a planta invasora Cryptostegia madagascariensis e a palmeira nativa Copernicia prunifera como subsídio para ações de controle e manejo da invasão

Abstract

Biological invasion is characterized by the introduction of an exotic organism into an environment different from its natural occurrence and, when it adapts, it dominates native species, being therefore considered one of the biggest causes of loss of biodiversity on the planet. Thus, the objective of this evaluation was to understand how characteristics of invasive lianas and support plants influence the interaction between the invasive liana Cryptostegia madagascariensis and the native palm Copernicia prunifera (Carnaúba), at different sampling sites in three municipalities in Ceará. We aim to answer the following questions: What is the minimum size at which invasive lianas start to use carnaubas as support? How long does it take to reach the canopy of a carnauba tree? What is the relationship between the distance of C. madagascariensis plants and the probability of carnauba infestation? What is the incidence of the weed at different stages of development in carnauba populations? The results found showed that both the diameter of the stems and the probability of infestation of the species C. madagascariensis in relation to Copernicia prunifera is dependent on the place where the populations are inserted, this probability being lower in the site of the municipality of Jaguaruana than in the others sites in the municipalities of Caucaia and Granja. The critical size for infestation was defined as that at which C. madagascariensis plants achieve a 20% probability of using a support. The average time to reach the crown of a 6.0 m palm with variation (95% CI) is from 4.5 to 15.4 years. The weed C. madagascariensis plant, located closest to a focal C. prunifera, was at a distance of up to 0.01 m from its support palm, while the farthest from a palm tree with more than one weed was at a distance of up to 0.01 m from its support palm. of 2.97. In all study sites, the highest incidence of infestation occurred in the most advanced stages of development, immature and adult. A better understanding of these variables enabled the development of more efficient and specific management strategies, allowing us to propose weed management recommendations.