How are landscape complexity and vegetation structure related across an agricultural frontier in the subtropical Chaco, NW Argentina?

Monmany, A. Carolina; Yu, Mei; Restrepo, Carla; Zimmerman, Jess K.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.05.014

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…These metrics mainly focused on patch shape, area, and distance from edge. However, there are several other types of landscape metric that can provide additional information such as variability, diversity, contagion and interspersion metrics such as those in [40]. Another limitation is that due to the available data, the study period was quite short.…”

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Analysis of the Habitat Fragmentation of Ecosystems in Belize Using Landscape Metrics

2020

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Landscape metrics have been of game changing importance in the analysis of ecosystems' composition and landscape cohesion. With the increasing urban and agricultural expansion, the natural flora and fauna of many highly diverse areas have been degraded. Fragmentation of ecosystems and habitats have stressed the biodiversity of Belize. To understand the dynamics of this change, a study was conducted using three moderately separate years of ecosystem landscape data. The metrics used for the analysis were area-weighted mean shape index (AWMSI), mean shape index (MSI), edge density (ED), mean patch size (MPS), number of patches (NUMP), and class area (CA). These metrics were produced for the years 2001, 2011, and 2017. The classes of agricultural use, lowland savannas, mangroves and littoral forests, urban, and wetlands were the subjects for analysis. Using the GIS extension Patch Analyst, parametric runs were performed. From these results, a one-way ANOVA test of the NUMP, Tukey HSD test, and Scheffé Multiple Comparison test were performed. The results indicate that there has been significant habitat fragmentation, especially from the years 2001 to 2011. Agricultural areas increased by 19.37% in just 10 years, with the NUMP of some habitats increasing by 284%. The results also show fluctuation in ED and a decrease in overall MPS, all indicating high fragmentation. These changes have been mostly induced due to the expansion of agricultural activities and urbanization, especially in the northern parts of Belize. It is imperative that additional policies be implemented to deter the effects of habitat fragmentation upon the existing ecosystems of Belize and elsewhere.

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confidence: 99%

Analysis of the Habitat Fragmentation of Ecosystems in Belize Using Landscape Metrics

2020

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“…The spatial variation of tree size (DBH) was calculated using the coefficient of variation ( SD /mean density = CV in %) of the density of trees per transect (Monmany, Yu, Restrepo, & Zimmerman, ). A low number indicates low structural heterogeneity of trees in the border, irrespective of tree species richness in the border.…”

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confidence: 99%

The complexity of forest borders determines the understorey vegetation

Lindgren

Kimberley

Cousins

2017

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions:What are the most important drivers of plant species richness (gammadiversity) and species turnover (beta-diversity) in the field layer of a forest edge? Does the tree and shrub species richness structure and complexity affect the richness of forest and grassland specialist species?Location: Southeast Sweden. Methods:We sampled 50 forest edges with different levels of structural complexity in agricultural landscapes. In each border we recorded trees, shrubs and herb layer species in a 50-m transect parallel with the forest. We investigated species composition and species turnover in relation to the proportions of gaps in the border and the diversity of trees and shrubs.Results: Total plant species richness in the field layer was mainly explained by the proportion of gaps to areas with full canopy cover and tree diversity. Increasing number of gaps promoted higher diversity of grassland specialist species within the field layer, resulting in open forest borders with the highest overall species richness. Gaps did however have a negative impact on forest species richness. Conversely, increasing forest species richness was positively related to tree diversity, but the number of grassland specialist species was negatively affected by tree diversity. Conclusions:Managing forest borders, and therefore increasing the area of semi-open habitats in fragmented agricultural landscapes, provides future opportunities to create a network of suitable habitats for both grassland and deciduous forest specialist species. Such measures therefore have the potential to increase functional connectivity and support dispersal of species in homogeneous forest/agricultural landscapes. K E Y W O R D Salpha-diversity, beta-diversity, gamma-diversity, canopy cover, forest border, forest management, forest specialist species, grassland specialist species, plant diversity, remnant habitat, species richness, structural heterogeneity,

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“…However, studies that quantify the complexity of the 2D landscape do not clearly link the patterns to the processes (Li & Wu, 2004;Cushman et al, 2008). One way to interpret this link is to examine what aspect of 3D vegetation is being captured by landscape metrics (Monmany et al, 2015). For example, surface metrics represent quantitative measurements that vary continuously across the landscape and the data can be conceptualized as representing a three-dimensional surface (e.g., biomass) (McGarigal, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of silvicultural landscapes by small mammals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Uribe¹,

Cristina²

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Use of silvicultural landscapes by small mammals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil Studies in agricultural landscapes have shown that anthropogenic environments may be relevant to wildlife species. Given the extent of these areas efficient research methods are needed to assess its ecological value in terms of local diversity, such as the use of biological indicators. The main goal here was to evaluate the possible relationship between the native vegetation biomass and diversity of small mammals in a silvicultural landscape of São Paulo. The study was developed at Fazenda Três Lagoas, which is part of the "Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade" (PPBio), at Angatuba municipality, State of São Paulo, and lasted nine months. From May 2015 to March 2016 nine sampling campaigns were carried over a grid of 15 pitfall traps, five in Eucalyptus plantations, five in native vegetation and five in abandoned pastures. In the Chapter 1 the distribution and abundance patterns of small mammals on a silvicultural landcape during the early second cycle of Eucalyptus plantation in Southeastern Brazil was evaluated. A total of 672 individuals from 15 species of the orders Rodentia (9 spp.) and Didelphimorphia (6 spp.) were captured and five new species were detected in the study area in comparison to the first cycle. Although these species are predominantly generalists, there were differences in the abundance of small mammals in the three environments. The presence of native vegetation patches associated with riparian areas and abandoned pastures and the role of small mammals as a food resource for predators on a trophic structure, gives a certain conservation value to silvicultural landscapes in southeastern Brazil. In the Chapter 2 the relationship between landscape metrics and patterns of diversity, distribution and abundance of small mammals in a silvicultural landscape were evaluated. The species richness and family diversity of small mammals have been predominantly determined by the percentage of native vegetation. However, the abundance of small mammals can be determined by an indirect estimate of the native vegetation biomass (i.e., NDVI), which can be considered a 3D landscape metric as it is related to volume. Therefore, to succeed in assessing the value of agricultural landscape, future studies should consider landscape context, as well as the landscape metrics associated with geospatial data analysis and the distinct responses of species.

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How are landscape complexity and vegetation structure related across an agricultural frontier in the subtropical Chaco, NW Argentina?

Cited by 7 publications

References 48 publications

Analysis of the Habitat Fragmentation of Ecosystems in Belize Using Landscape Metrics

Analysis of the Habitat Fragmentation of Ecosystems in Belize Using Landscape Metrics

The complexity of forest borders determines the understorey vegetation

Use of silvicultural landscapes by small mammals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

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