Microclimate and vegetation edge effects in a fragmented podocarp-broadleaf forest in New Zealand

Young, Andrew; Mitchell, N. D.

doi:10.1016/0006-3207(94)90010-8

Cited by 251 publications

(196 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

168

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The proportion of individuals and species found for each life form was similar along the forest gradient studied, however, there was an increase in light-demanding individuals at the edge for all studied life forms. The extension of such alterations in plant communities due to edge effects is comparable to other works done in Brazil and other contries, in which penetration of edge effects varied from 15 to 60 m into the forest (Williams-Linera 1990a, 1990b, Malcolm 1994, Young & Mitchell 1994, Baldi 1999, Gehlhausen et al 2000, Harper & Macdonald 2002, Honnay et al 2002.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Distinct abiotic conditions between forest and edge (Kapos 1989, Matlack 1993) commonly cause changes in species composition (Williams-Linera 1990a, Gehlhausen et al 2000, Oosterhoorn & Kappelle 2000, Honnay et al 2002, vegetation structure (Williams-Linera 1990a, Malcolm 1994, Young & Mitchell 1994, Cadenasso & Pickett 2001 and tree mortality rate (Laurance et al 1998, Mesquita et al 1999, Laurance et al 2000. In this study grazing and cattle trampling may have caused differential mortality of herbs and woody seedling as observed by Mauhs & Backes (2002) in a similar study area.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…These changes begin with the development of microclimatic gradients where the influence zone of the edge presents a greater exposure to winds, higher temperatures, lower humidity and higher sun radiation (Kapos 1989, Matlack 1993, Camargo & Kapos 1995, Kapos et al 1997, DaviesColley et al 2000, Redding et al 2003. These altered conditions can extend up to 100 m into the forest (Young & Mitchell 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Changes in plant community diversity and composition across an edge between Araucaria forest and pasture in South Brazil

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

-(Changes in plant community diversity and composition across an edge between Araucaria forest and pasture in South Brazil). This work investigated how richness, abundance, composition and structure of woody and herbaceous vegetation were altered by the proximity of an edge between Araucaria forest and pasture in South Brazil. Herbaceous and woody species including seedlings were surveyed in 42 plots of 5 × 5 m randomly placed at the following distances: 5 and 50 m from the edge into the pasture and 0, 25, 50, 100 and 250 m from the edge into the forest. There was a significant increase in vegetation cover, richness and abundance of woody species, woody seedlings and herbaceous plants at the edge (0 m). These variables, in general, decreased from 25 to 50 m from the edge into the forest in comparison to the forest interior. Few seedlings of woody plants were able to establish themselves in the pasture. There were continuous changes in species composition that occurred in the studied gradient due to the invasion of light-demanding species and the disappearance of some shade-tolerant species at the edge. In conclusion, the forest edge studied generated changes in the plant community that extended up to 50 m into the forest.Key words -edge effects, herbaceous vegetation, seedling diversity, tree species composition, woody plants richness RESUMO -(Mudanças na composição e diversidade de uma comunidade de plantas ao longo de uma borda entre floresta com araucária e pastagem no Sul do Brasil). Neste estudo investigamos como riqueza, abundância, composição e estrutura da vegetação lenhosa e herbácea foram alteradas pela proximidade de uma borda entre floresta com araucária e pastagem no sul do Brasil. Espécies lenhosas e herbáceas, incluindo plântulas, foram analisadas em 42 parcelas de 5 × 5 m dispostas aleatoriamente nas seguintes distâncias: 5 e 50 m da borda para dentro do campo e 0, 25, 50, 100 e 250 m da borda para dentro da floresta. Houve um aumento significativo na cobertura da vegetação, riqueza e abundância de espécies lenhosas, plântulas lenhosas e plantas herbáceas na borda (0 m). Essas variáveis, em geral, decresceram nas distâncias 25 a 50 m da borda para dentro da floresta em relação ao interior da mesma. Poucas plântulas lenhosas foram capazes de estabelecer-se no campo. Houve uma mudança contínua na composição de espécies que ocorreu no gradiente de borda devido à invasão de espécies heliófilas e o desaparecimento de alguma espécies tolerantes à sombra na borda. Concluímos que a comunidade de plantas encontra-se alterada na borda florestal estudada em uma extensão que vai até 50 m para dentro da floresta.Palavras-chave -composição de espécies arbóreas, diversidade de plântulas, efeito de borda, riqueza de plantas lenhosas, vegetação herbácea 1.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Changes in plant community diversity and composition across an edge between Araucaria forest and pasture in South Brazil

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Camera configuration and photograph analysis via the Gap Light Analyzer software followed the same procedures adopted by Wirth et al [28]. Relative humidity and air temperature were measured using a portable thermo-hygrometer (model MTH-1380-Winner ® ), and such measures permitted us to obtain estimates for VPD [29].…”

Section: Microclimatic Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Pinto

Mendes

Santos

et al. 2010

Tropical Conservation Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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...

show abstract

“…Dong et al (1998) also pointed out that process-based research on organisms is needed to confirm the pattern from the microclimate measurements. Since microclimatic parameters such as temperature, air humidity, wind speed, and light covary from the edge to the interior of a forest (Young andMitchell 1994, Cadenasso et al 1997), the use of a phytometer is a way to evaluate the combined microclimatic edge effect. Species relying on humid air during their lifetime would be especially sensitive to changes in microclimate and could serve as such monitors (Dong et al 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Buffer Strips along Boreal Streams Using Bryophytes as Indicators

Hylander

Jonsson

2002

Ecological Applications

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Buffer strips have recently become the main management practice for reducing logging impact on stream habitats in boreal and temperate regions. The habitat value of buffer strips, however, has not received much attention, although riparian forests belong to the systems with the highest biodiversity in these regions. We used plants as indicators of the ability of buffer strips to maintain an environment similar to intact riparian forests in a boreal forest landscape in northern Sweden. We measured the growth of three common bryophyte species (Hylocomiastrum umbratum, Calypogeia integristipula, and Tritomaria quinquedentata) transplanted to riparian habitat close to a stream in clear-cut logged sites, 10-15 m wide buffer strips on each side of the stream, and intact (reference) sites. Each of the three site categories included six wet and six moist-mesic sites and the experiment was followed over three months in 1999.The species remained vital in the reference sites and grew substantially during the 3-mo-long experiment, but in the logged sites almost no growth was registered, and many shoots died (except for T. quinquedentata). The pattern was consistent irrespective of the ground moisture class. The performance of bryophytes in the moist-mesic buffer strips was almost as bad as in the logged sites, whereas in the wet buffer strips it was either intermediate between that in logged and reference sites (H. umbratum) or very similar to that in reference sites (C. integristipula and T. quinquedentata). The edge effect has previously been shown to vary depending on edge orientation, edge physiognomy, and weather conditions. We found that ground moisture can be of major importance as well. Although many buffer strips function better than no strips, 20-30 m wide strips (with a stream in the middle) through a logged area consist entirely of edge habitat. Increasing the buffer width and avoiding clear-cut logging on both sides of a watercourse would be the first steps to take for improving biodiversity conservation in riparian habitats. Our results also show that bryophytes are good indicators of habitat quality and efficient tools for assessing the ecological function of buffer strips.

show abstract

Microclimate and vegetation edge effects in a fragmented podocarp-broadleaf forest in New Zealand

Cited by 251 publications

References 10 publications

Changes in plant community diversity and composition across an edge between Araucaria forest and pasture in South Brazil

Changes in plant community diversity and composition across an edge between Araucaria forest and pasture in South Brazil

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

Evaluating Buffer Strips along Boreal Streams Using Bryophytes as Indicators

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About