AN ALIEN IN WETLANDS, POSSIBLE INVADER? DISTRIBUTION OF POTENTILLA ANSERINA (ROSACEAE) IN THE NAHUEL HUAPI NATIONAL PARK (PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA)

Introduction and objectives: Wetlands are natural ecosystems relevant to biodiversity and ensure a variety of ecosystem services. However, they are environments susceptible to species invasions. The exotic and invasive species Potentilla anserina was found in wetlands of Patagonia. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of this species in the Nahuel Huapi National Park and to know how it relates to the types of biomes and land uses. M&M: We studied the distribution of P. anserina in 28 wetlands along a precipitacion gradient (55.4 km East-West), in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, in relation to the type of environment, biome, degree of urbanization and presence of cattle. Also, we relate its cover with the richness of species in 8 of the wetlands analyzed. Results: P. anserina was correlated with shallow and temporary wetlands and with the presence of cattle. The % of coverage of P. anserina did not exceed 10% (with one exception) and was not related to species richness. Conclusion: Due to the high dispersal capacity of P. anserina in Patagonian wetlands and the high coverage observed in one of the temporary wetland studied, our results alert about the invasive potential of this exotic species.