Management priorities for exotic plants in an urban Atlantic Forest reserve

ABSTRACT Biological diversity is directly affected by alien species, even though the diagnosed impacts vary with scale. Early identification of the invasion of natural patches is essential for effective conservation actions. We aimed to determine the exotic plant species present inside Fontes do Ipiranga State Park (PEFI), an urban protected area located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and their relative proportions of occurrence in the native forest. Our goal was to use these data to assess their invasion status according to specific literature and to define management priorities for them....