Current status and invasion potential of Ulex europaeus l. in the Poas Volcano National Park, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Abstract

A study of the invasive exotic species Ulex europaeus was carried out in the protected wildlife area known as
Poás Volcano National Park, specifically in two sites, Potrero Grande and Colinas Verdes. Ten transects were
established for data collection where a total of 39 circular sampling plots of five meter radius were placed, for
a total sampled area of 3063.1 m2. In each plot, the vegetation present was surveyed, identifying plant species,
cover, height, type of habit, as well as the amount to of light in the center of each plot. Additionally, using MaxEnt
software and geographic information systems, a climatic niche model for Ulex europaeus in its native area was
created and estimated for an area of interest, in this case Costa Rica, generating a potential climatic niche model.
The results showed that high luminosity, the presence of disturbed areas, proximity to roads, and low temperature
ranges were the factors that best explained the establishment and development of this invasive species. The
climatic niche modeling for Costa Rica and its Area under the curve (AUC) of 0.916 demonstrated a high level of
accuracy in predicting areas with climatic conditions similar to the region where Ulex europaeus is native. Sites
such as the Central Volcanic Mountain Range and the Talamanca Mountain Range, are shown to be vulnerable to
the invasion of this species if actions measures are not applied.