Biological invasion of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae) in the "Parque Nacional de Brasília", Brazil1

(Biological invasion of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae) in the "Parque Nacional de Brasília", Brazil). This paper evaluated the occurrence of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit in an area located inside the Brasília National Park (Distrito Federal). Local environmental characteristics were examined to determine how they influenced the plant’s dispersal and the distance traveled by the species’, in addition to identifying the classes of invasive individuals, according to their height. The ANCOVA test was used to assess the effect of distance and to show how this effect depends on the environment. Results show that the number of classes does not depend on the distance from the point of introduction and that the population behaves as an invader, according to the criteria used to measure the invasiveness of woody plants with seeds. It was also found that the status of the environment (particularly the degree of conservation of the native flora and exposure to sunlight) is the strongest limiting factor affecting the number of classes of individuals and the production of fruits. Knowledge of these biophysical factors can guide park staff in making decisions about management options for controlling or eradicating invasive populations.