At the middle Doce river , between 1930 and 1960, the forest lands had been occupied by agriculture and cattle raising. First, the agricultural cultures had found favorable conditions to enlargement, but not enough for consolidating itself, before giving place to cattle, as it is common in the history of Brazilian agriculture. The lands covered by the forest had been invaded by the capim-colonião (Panicum maximum Jacq. var. maximum) in a bigger rhythm than the advance of the human activity. The African grassy found very good conditions to spreading (the relief, the climate and the practices of the farmers. Its biological characteristics had favored the advance of the grass. The capim-colonião does not diminished the force of the socioeconomics elements, marked for power relations where the farmer took clear advantage, but understand its biological aspects contributes for the understanding of the configuration of the territory of the river Doce.
River Doce; capim-colonião; invasive specie