Thinking about super-dominant populations of native species - Examples from Brazil

The subject of biological invasions is well-recognized, especially due to the associated impacts, but different interpretations exist about the concept of invasive species. These are usually known as exotic species that proliferate intensely, spread rapidly and persist as dominant in the new community. However, some native species may behave the same way and bring serious ecological and economical losses. Nonetheless these native species may not attract management efforts and specific policies, partially because of the assumption that native species are harmless. We review the concepts of invasive species and show the potential harm of overabundant populations of native species, which we name super-dominant species. Based on literature review we demonstrated the lack of information on the Brazilian super-dominant plant species. Considering all kinds of published material and knowledge from our own experience we selected 16 Brazilian native terrestrial plants that most frequently show unexpectedly intense growth and dominance in their original habitats. We discuss the factors that may have triggered atypical dominance, negative impacts of these species on the native biodiversity and ecosystems, and future trends. Anthropogenic disturbances are the main drivers of the explosive population growth of these native species, especially habitat fragmentation, forest gap formation, and wildfires. The absence of legal support to deal with super-dominant native species is probably the main reason for the lack of disclosure of the subject. In the future scenario of climate change we expect the intensification of the phenomenon. Strategies for early detection and control need to be fast developed. (C) 2018 Associacao Brasileira de Ciencia Ecologica e Conservacao. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.