The objectives of this work were to study the distribution of Brachiaria subquadripara populations and to characterize their environment of occurrence in two seasons (dry and rainy). Surveys were carried out in July, 2004 and January, 2005, in 13 previously selected and geo-referred sites in the Barra Bonita reservoir (seven in the Piracicaba River effluent and six in the Tietê River effluent). Soil, sediment, water and plant samples were collected on the river banks at these sites for analysis. Distribution in relation to infestation area of B. subquadripara populations was influenced by the seasonal variation distribution of the populations, which occurred heterogeneously in relation to population density. Tietê River was considered a more eutrophic environment than the Piracicaba river, regarding both soil and water column. The water samples collected in Tietê River showed mean pH values in the dry season from 7.02 to 7.82, and a wider variation (6.80 to 8.0) in the rainy season. Most of the sites sampled showed high concentrations of organic matter in the sediment, with concentrations lower than 1.3% being observed in two sites in the dry season (winter) and in five sites in the rainy season (summer).
Brachiaria; habitat; survey; aquatic plant; weed
