A comparative study of resource allocation in Pteridium in different Brazilian ecosystems and its relationship with European studies/Estudo comparativo da alocacao de recurso em Pteridium em diferentes ecossistemas brasileiros e sua relacao com estudos na europa

Pteridium is a cosmopolitan genus that acts as an invasive species in many parts of the world. Most research on this genus has occurred in Europe, and there is a lack of data on it from South America, in spite of causing considerable conservation problems. The researchers compared the biomass allocation of P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum in two ecosystems in Brazil -- Atlantic forest and Brazilian savanna. They measured the biomass of fronds, rhizomes and above-ground litter. They also compared the density, length and biomass of fronds from this Brazilian study with similar data of P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum derived from Venezuela and P. aquilinum from Europe. P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum showed a wide response range. They found a negative relationship between frond and necromass , indicating a negative feedback effect, while a positive relationship was observed between frond and rhizome biomass.