Forest edge in the Brazilian Atlantic forest: drastic changes in tree species assemblages

Oliveira, Marcondes Albuquerque de; Grillo, A. S.; Tabarelli, Marcelo

doi:10.1017/s0030605304000754

Cited by 155 publications

(203 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…Abundance of large trees in forest fragments has been proven to be positively correlated to the amount of forest cover around fragments [22]. Distance to nearest edge has low explanatory power regarding tree-assemblage attributes, such as species richness and functional composition, although tree-assemblage structure in forest edges and small fragments greatly differs from that in core forest interior areas [12,40]. Whatever the driving force, our group of aging and truly isolated forest fragments is not shaped according to the "edge vs. core area" tradeoff, which poses interesting implications for conservation planning in hyperfragmented landscapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape Attributes Drive Complex Spatial Microclimate Configuration of Brazilian Atlantic Forest Fragments

Pinto

Mendes

Santos

et al. 2010

Tropical Conservation Science

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Habitat fragmentation imposes profound impacts on the tropical forest microclimate, but the microclimatic configuration of isolated forest patches and its implications for biodiversity persistence and habitat management are not clear. In this study we assessed a set of 10 aged (> 80 years) fragments (3.0 -3,500 ha in size) of the Atlantic forest to examine to what extent fragment microclimatic attributes are correlated with distance to the nearest edge as frequently proposed in the literature. We used 129 sampling points and took a total of 516 measures of air temperature and humidity, vapor pressure deficit and light incidence to characterize the microclimate of forest fragments in terms of their relative deviation from the surrounding matrix. Fragments as a whole presented strong internal variation and strongly differed from the microclimate exhibited by the open matrix of sugar-cane fields. Distance to nearest edge, percentage of forest cover around the measurement point, percentage of edge-affected area, and geographical orientation of the nearest edge all proved to have minor effects on the microclimate of forest fragments. Conversely, we identified percentage of forest cover and fragment area as the most significant explanatory variables driving their microclimatic configuration: as forest cover increases at landscape scale, forest microclimate deviates less from the open matrix (a forest-mediated matrix buffering). Our results suggest that microclimatic conditions are spatially complex, as they do not correlate with the distance to the nearest forest edges; rather, they are driven by a forest-mediated buffering of the surrounding matrix that minimizes heat and humidity exchanges between forest and non-forest habitats, thus shaping the microclimatic signature of isolated forest fragments. Keywords: edge effects; habitat fragmentation; hyper-fragmented landscapes; microclimate; tropical forest. ResumenLa fragmentación del hábitat tiene importantes impactos en el microclima de los bosques tropicales, pero los determinantes del microclima en fragmentos aislados y sus efectos sobre la biodiversidad y el manejo de estos ecosistemas aún son mal comprendidos. En este estudio, analizamos un total de 10 fragmentos de bosque (3 -3,500 ha) aislados por más de 80 años para entender como los parámetros microclimáticos responden a características del paisaje, de los fragmentos, a la distancia al borde más próximo. Para ello, en un total de 129 puntos tomamos 516 mediciones de temperatura del aire, humedad relativa del aire, déficit de presión de vapor e incidencia de luz difusa para caracterizar el microclima de estos fragmentos en relación a los valores de la matriz adyacente. Como esperado, los fragmentos presentaron fuerte variación interna y diferirán largamente del microclima encontrado en la matriz no-forestal. La distancia al borde y otras tres variables no presentaron efectos muy significativos sobre el microclima de los fragmentos como un todo. Por otro lado, identificamos que el porcentaje de cobertura...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape Attributes Drive Complex Spatial Microclimate Configuration of Brazilian Atlantic Forest Fragments

Pinto

Mendes

Santos

et al. 2010

Tropical Conservation Science

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“…In addition, the size and shape of forest fragments have remained stable for over two centuries to ensure a stable water supply for sugarcane irrigation. The Serra Grande landscape also holds the 3,500-ha Coimbra Forest, the largest forest remnant in the region, which still retains large areas of pristine forest and a flora and fauna typical of undisturbed primary forest (Oliveira et al 2004;Santos et al 2008). As in previous studies (Girão et al 2007;Lopes et al 2009;Santo-Silva et al 2013;Santos et al 2008;Tabarelli et al 2010a), we therefore used Coimbra as a mature forest control area.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For wood density, we assigned each species into two major groups: (1) softwood (wood density < 0.7 g/cm³) or (2) hardwood (> 0.7 g/cm³). These criteria for assigning species into functional groupings had been adopted previously (Michalski et al 2007;Oliveira et al 2004;Santo-Silva et al 2013;. Information on regeneration niche and seed size were obtained from a comprehensive literature review, including floras and checklists (e.g., Lorenzi 1992;Oliveira 2007;van Roosmalen 1985), and complemented by our own personal knowledge following over two decades of research on Atlantic Forest tree species (e.g., Melo et al 2006;Oliveira et al 2004;Santo-Silva et al 2013;Silva and Tabarelli 2000;Tabarelli et al 1999;Tabarelli and Peres 2002).…”

Section: Regeneration Niche Seed Size and Wood Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat fragmentation and the future structure of tree assemblages in a fragmented Atlantic forest landscape

et al. 2016

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The biodiversity value of human-modified landscapes has become a central question in tropical forest conservation biology, yet the degree to which plant populations and communities are restructured in response to environmental change remains unclear. . Here, we examine the density of 141 tree species in a fragmented Atlantic Forest landscape dominated by a long history of sugar-cane production. We document shifts in population density in small forest fragments to infer on the magnitude of fragmentationrelated effects, and ultimately the structure of future tree assemblages. Both tree seedlings and adults were sampled across 39 0.1-ha plots: 19 in small fragments (<100 ha) and 20 in mature forest stands within the interior of the largest forest remnant of the study landscape (3500 ha). A total of 5,448 seedlings and adults were recorded, with >55% of all tree species exhibiting higher densities in small fragments than in mature forest, particularly pioneers (>60% of all species). Seedlings and adults of these proliferating species differed from species exhibiting population declines in terms of wood density and seed size, respectively. Additionally, pioneers were more abundant than shade-tolerant species, as were hardwood species in the case of seedlings. Tree species showing highest population increases consisted largely of long-lived, lightdemanding canopy species bearing soft or hardwood and small-to-medium sized seeds. Tree assemblage structure also differed in terms of forest habitats with small forest fragments supporting few rare species, whereas the most rapidly proliferating species were much more widespread and abundant in fragments. However 60% of all adult pioneer species recorded in small fragments were not recorded as seedlings in this habitat type, although both seedling and adult assemblages were dominated by pioneer species. Edge-dominated tree assemblages therefore likely experience long term shifts towards greater dominance of long-lived, pioneer canopy species.

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“…This landscape has approximately 9000 ha of forest with a total 109 forest remnants, ranging from 1.67 to 3500 ha -all entirely surrounded by a uniform, stable sugarcane plantation matrix (Silva & Tabarelli 2000;Santos et al 2008). Coimbra Forest (3500 ha) is the largest and best preserved patch of forest in the region and consists of a single, non-replicated tract of forest (Oliveira et al 2004;Santos et al 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

First report of Oxysternon silenus Castelnau (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, Phanaeini) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Filgueiras¹,

Iannuzzi²,

Vaz‐de‐Mello³

2011

Rev. Bras. entomol.

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Forest edge in the Brazilian Atlantic forest: drastic changes in tree species assemblages

Cited by 155 publications

References 16 publications

Landscape Attributes Drive Complex Spatial Microclimate Configuration of Brazilian Atlantic Forest Fragments

Landscape Attributes Drive Complex Spatial Microclimate Configuration of Brazilian Atlantic Forest Fragments

Habitat fragmentation and the future structure of tree assemblages in a fragmented Atlantic forest landscape

First report of Oxysternon silenus Castelnau (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, Phanaeini) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

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