The paradox of the alien plant Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata (Rose) S. Zárate in Sicily: another threat for the native flora or a valuable resource?


https://doi.org/10.4081/pb.2020.8637
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2020)
Submitted: 20 May 2020
Accepted: 28 July 2020
Published: 16 November 2020
invasive species, biomass, wood, fast-growing trees, Mediterranean
Abstract Views: 840
PDF: 272
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Authors

  • Emilio Badalamenti Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences Department, University of Palermo, Italy.
  • Salvatore Pasta Institute of BioSciences and BioResources (IBBR), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Unit of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
  • Giovanna Sala
    giovanna.sala@unipa.it
    Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences Department, University of Palermo, Italy.
  • Valentina Catania Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies – STEBICEF - University of Palermo, Italy.
  • Paola Quatrini Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies – STEBICEF - University of Palermo, Italy.
  • Tommaso La Mantia Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences Department, University of Palermo, Italy.

With this contribution, an updated picture of the rapid expansion of Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata in Sicily is provided. On the one hand, this is a quite worrying sign, as this woody species figures among the world’s worst invasive alien species. On the other hand, the species shows interesting potential for production purposes (for wood, biomass and for feeding livestock), also considering its nitrogen fixation ability. Consequently, the two opposite options to cope with this species, i.e. cultivation and control/eradication, should accurately take into account the possible uses as well as its invasive behaviou


Badalamenti, E., Pasta, S., Sala, G., Catania, V., Quatrini, P., & La Mantia, T. (2020). The paradox of the alien plant <em>Leucaena leucocephala</em> subsp. <em>glabrata</em> (Rose) S. Zárate in Sicily: another threat for the native flora or a valuable resource?. International Journal of Plant Biology, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/pb.2020.8637

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