Seminários em Botânica: “Ecological restoration in Protected Areas: Demonstration Units as a research model in grassland areas invaded by Urochloa decumbens”

In southern Brazil, African C4 grasses are the main exotic invasive species in grassland ecosystems, degrading large expanses of land, including within protected areas (PAs). Considering the low extent of protected grassland area in the Pampa Biome, the high species diversity, and the importance of ecosystem services associated with grasslands, active management in the prevention and control of invasive species is necessary and urgent. For the success of biological invasion control, planning ecological restoration actions – including invasive species control, species reintroduction, monitoring, and adaptive management – is essential. Therefore, with the establishment of Ecological Restoration Demonstrative Units in two PAs in the Pampa Biome, this project proposes (1) evaluating the effectiveness of smothering control actions with Urochloa decumbens tarps, (2) assessing the effectiveness of different techniques for reintroducing native species after U. decumbens control, (3) identifying potentially competing native species with the invader, and (4) establishing indicators and thresholds to indicate restoration success over time.