Resumen

PLAZA BEHRH, Maia C. et al. Plantación de Celtis ehrenbergiana como técnica de recuperación de bosques invadidos por Ligustrum lucidum en los talares del NE de Buenos Aires. Ecol. austral [online]. 2016, vol.26, n.2, pp.171-177. ISSN 1667-782X.

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 efect 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 diferent applications, might make more viable the implementation of the techniques evaluated.

Palabras clave : Alien species; Conservation; Ecological restoration.