Comparative biomass production of Pteridium esculentum subsp. arachnoideum and Pteridium aquilinum from Cerrado, Mata Atlântica and UK stands

Abstract

In the Southeast Brazil, the fern Pteridium esculentum subsp. arachnoideum is spreading into Cerrado and Atlantic Forest areas, occurring in abandoned pastures, around forest edges and in other degraded areas. While a number of studies about the impact of bracken on plant communities has been carried out in the northern hemisphere, there is a lack of information for the tropics and subtropics. The aim of this visit is to develop another project in cooperation using information from Brazil and UK. Therefore, this particular study aims to investigate the biology of the fern, P. esculentum, in terms of its above-ground and below-ground biomass, necromass and net primary production in two contrasting ecosystems: Mata Atlântica and Cerrado. We intend to establish allometric relationships for both components, below-ground and above-ground biomass and examine differences among locations and ecosystems, including UK samples. Also, during my stay at Prof. Marrs´s laboratory I´ll visit their experiment sites for bracken control to define the methodologies that we´ll be using in Brazil. Despite the interest in carbon accounting in forest ecosystems, there is a need for information about the above and below-ground biomass components of non-timber plant species. Considering the widespread distribution of invasive species, including bracken, the evaluation of their biomass in different habitats is necessary. (AU)