Expansion of the extent of occurrence and potential distribution of the exotic invasive species Enneapogon cenchroides (Roem. & Schult.) C.E. Hubb. in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Enneapogon cenchroides (Roem. & Schult.) C.E. Hubb. is an herb native from Africa to India. In Brazil, this species invades areas of the Caatinga in the states of Pernambuco and Bahia. Its ability to affect the germination and development of other species makes it a threat to native flora. This article reports the first record of the invasion of E. cenchroides in the state of Sergipe and aims to (i) map the current distribution of this species in Northeast Brazil through Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and (ii) determine its potential distribution in the region through Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). The record of E. cenchroides in Sergipe was carried out in a riparian zone in the municipality of Canindé de São Francisco. Georeferenced points of E. cenchroides were obtained in its native and invaded environment. The points located in Brazil were used to delimit its EOO through the convex polygon. All points were used to develop the SDM through the Maxent, ANN, GLM, and CTA algorithms. With the new record in Sergipe, the EOO of E. cenchroides reached 124,145 km², a value 87.32% higher than that obtained in its first evaluation. According to the SDM, the areas of greatest suitability (0.60–1.0) were concentrated in the states of Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, and Rio Grande do Norte, mainly in the Caatinga. The results indicate that E. cenchroides has been invading new areas since its initial introduction. Furthermore, the climatic suitability in Northeast Brazil may favor its spread in new areas.