Long-term erosion of tree reproductive trait diversity in edge-dominated Atlantic forest fragments

Lopes, Ariadna Valentina; Girão, Luciana Coe; Santos, Bráulio A.; Peres, Carlos A.; Tabarelli, Marcelo

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.01.007

Cited by 157 publications

(177 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…This has clear implications to contemporary forest diversity even if only a modest fraction of this ecological group can become hyper-abundant in edge-dominated habitats as advocated here. Pioneer-dominated tree assemblages, including those at Serra Grande, have reduced floristic and functional diversity , reduced size structure , low levels of carbon retention (Paula et al 2011), and reduced diversity of floral attributes (Girão et al 2007;Lopes et al 2009) and phylogenetic traits (Santos et al 2010). Moreover, pioneer-dominated assemblages present an altered pattern of fruit phenology and much lower relative abundance of trees bearing large fruits (Tabarelli et al 2010a), which can reduce habitat quality for many frugivorous vertebrates (sensu lato) that play important roles in forest regeneration as seed dispersers and seed predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…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%

“…Therefore, human-modified landscapes have attracted increasing interests from conservation biologists, particularly as complementary landscape elements such as biodiversity corridors or biodiversity-friendly matrices . In this context, recent research efforts have identified: (1) several ecological or functional groups sensitive to human disturbances, most of which referred to as forest-dependent species (Girão et al 2007;Lopes et al 2009;Melo et al 2010;Santos et al 2008;Tabarelli et al 2010a), (2) the presence of altered but rather impoverished communities in taxonomic, ecological and phylogenetic terms along edge-affected habitats (SantoSilva et al 2013;Santos et al 2010;Santos et al 2008), (3) landscape and patch metrics correlated with species abundance and patterns of community structure such as habitat connectivity, forest cover and core forest to forest edge ratio (XXX). Population declines, species extinctions, shifts in community structure, and collapse in forest structure proceed rapidly as soon as forest edges are created.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Impoverished tree assemblages are dominated by some pioneer species, which tend to proliferate from local to regional scales (Lôbo et al 2011;Tabarelli et al 2010a). Proliferation of pioneer and light-demanding species (successional species, sensu Laurance et al 2006b) parallels population collapses and extirpations of species in several ecological groups belonging to the old-growth flora, such as large-seeded ) and emergent species , and those with specialized floral biology (Girão et al 2007;Lopes et al 2009). Collectively, these shifts have been interpreted as a successional trajectory triggered by habitat fragmentation transforming edge-affected habitats into early-successional systems .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2016

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“…Logging gaps are heterogeneous. In particular, the proportion of edges and centres may differ depending on the gap shape (Broadbent et al 2008;Lopes et al 2009). We thus focused on two habitats, gap edges (a 4-m-perimeter band of each gap), and logging gaps (gap centres at least 4 m from any edge).…”

Section: S I T E D E S C R I P T I O Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting taxonomic and functional responses of a tropical tree community to selective logging

Baraloto

Hérault

Paine

et al. 2012

Journal of Applied Ecology

113

100

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Summary1. Considerable debate surrounds the extent to which tropical forests can be managed for resource extraction while conserving biodiversity and ecosystem properties, which depend on functional composition. Here we evaluate the compatibility of these aims by examining the effects of logging on taxonomic and functional diversity and composition in a tropical forest. 2. Twenty years after selective logging, we inventoried 4140 stems regenerating in logging gaps and adjacent undisturbed areas, and we integrated a database of 13 functional traits describing leaf and wood economics of tropical trees. 3. We found no differences in taxonomic and functional richness among habitats, but logging gaps had significantly higher taxonomic and functional evenness. 4. Logging also effected striking, long-term changes in both species and functional composition. In particular, the xylem density of recruits in logging gaps was 6% less than in unlogged forests, leaves were 11% less tough and had 6-13% greater mineral nutrient concentrations. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that managers of tropical forests should limit overall surface area converted to logging gaps by creating fewer, larger gaps during selective logging, to reduce impacts on the taxonomic and functional composition of the regenerating stand.

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Direct and Cascading Effects of Landscape Structure on Tropical Forest and Non‐forest Frugivorous Birds

Morante‐Filho¹,

Arroyo‐Rodríguez²,

Pessoa³

et al. 2019

Bulletin Ecologic Soc America

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Global biodiversity is increasingly threatened by land-use change, but the direct and indirect drivers of species diversity in human-modified tropical landscapes are poorly known. Forestdependent species are expected to be particularly sensitive to changes in landscape composition (e.g., forest loss) and configuration (e.g., increase of forest edges), both directly and indirectly through cascading landscape effects on local patterns of forest structure and resource availability. In contrast, non-forest-dependent species are probably more strongly related to landscape changes than to local forest patterns, as these species are able to use resources not only from the forest, but also from other landscape elements over larger spatial scales. We tested these hypotheses using structural equation modeling. In particular, we sampled 20 landscapes (115 ha each) from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest to assess the effect of landscape-scale forest cover and amount of forest edges on the diversity of frugivorous birds, both directly and indirectly through the effect that these landscape variables may have on vegetation complexity and fruit biomass. We separately assessed the response of forest-dependent and non-forest-dependent frugivores to infer potential mechanisms underlying bird assemblages in fragmented landscapes. The diversity of forest-dependent birds mainly decreased with the simplification of vegetation complexity in more deforested landscapes, but increased with increasing fruit biomass in more forested landscapes (indirect effects). Both patterns were significant, thus supporting a strong bottom-up control, i.e., local habitat simplification and resource scarcity in highly deforested landscapes limits the maintenance of forest-dependent birds. Conversely, but as expected, non-forestdependent birds were more strongly and directly related to landscape-scale patterns. In particular, landscapes with higher forest edge amount showed higher bird species diversity, probably because the increasing length of ecotones and interspersion/juxtaposition of different habitat types in landscapes with more forest edges can increase resource availability and foraging efficiency of non-forest-dependent birds. As the seed dispersal services offered by forest-dependent species cannot be ecologically compensated for by the proliferation of non-forest-dependent species, preventing forest loss is imperative to maintain forest-dependent birds and forest regeneration in this vanishing biodiversity hotspot.

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Long-term erosion of tree reproductive trait diversity in edge-dominated Atlantic forest fragments

Cited by 157 publications

References 49 publications

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

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

Contrasting taxonomic and functional responses of a tropical tree community to selective logging

Direct and Cascading Effects of Landscape Structure on Tropical Forest and Non‐forest Frugivorous Birds

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