Distribution and analysis of dispersion processes of gender trees Prosopis in areas of permanent protection of the urban area of the municipality of Mossoró/RN

Abstract

The mesquite, Prosopis juliflora and Prosopis pallida are existing trees in the Brazilian semiarid region that came to be introduced in the Rio Grande do Norte county in 1947. These trees have a history of 200 years of introduction in several countries. Its great spread came from the idea that, "the mesquite would be the salvation of the northeast". Currently, there is a large amount of Prosopis trees in the areas of rain drenage of the county, mainly on the banks of the river which crosses the urban area. This article seeks to verify the spatial distribution of the genus, in an urban stretch of the permanent protection area (APP) of the Mossoró county, on the banks of the ApodiMossoró River, and to identify the processes that contributed to the dispersal of the mesquite in the local. The total area of the protected area is approximately 275 hectares. Currently, about 144 hectares, just over 52%, of the delimited area, is occupied by Prosopis species. The processes that propitiated this phenomenon were the elimination of the riparian forest and the policies of incentive to the planting of the trees. Due to the existence of areas with exposed soil (74 ha), it is possible that Prosopis species increase their presence in the area. The existence of Prosopis trees in the northeastern semi-arid region is a reality that, in order to be controlled, requires interventions that integrate the proper use of the mesquites and, at the same time, implement measures to control its expansion in the wetlands of the caatinga.