Pine plantations modify local conditions in forest fragments in southeastern Australia: Insights from a fragmentation experiment

Farmilo, Brad J.; Nimmo, Dale G.; Morgan, John

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2013.05.060

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…2), probably due to the dynamic structure of the matrix habitats in this system (Farmilo et al 2013, Brudvig et al 2017. Unlike the Brazil project where the matrix was periodically cleared to maintain fragment isolation (Laurance et al 2011), the cleared forest that initially formed the matrix at Wog Wog grew into mature pine plantation, eventually exceeding the height of the eucalypt patches (Farmilo et al 2013). After a decade, perhaps due to increases in connectivity among fragments or the muting of edge effects between structurally-similar forest fragments and plantations, the Wog Wog communities in fragments subsequently began to re-converge with communities in intact forest (Fig.…”

Section: Does Fragmentation Homogenize Communities Within a Landscapementioning

confidence: 97%

“…At the Wog Wog site, initial divergence between most-and least-fragmented treatments shifted after a decade (Fig. 2), probably due to the dynamic structure of the matrix habitats in this system (Farmilo et al 2013, Brudvig et al 2017. Unlike the Brazil project where the matrix was periodically cleared to maintain fragment isolation (Laurance et al 2011), the cleared forest that initially formed the matrix at Wog Wog grew into mature pine plantation, eventually exceeding the height of the eucalypt patches (Farmilo et al 2013).…”

Section: Does Fragmentation Homogenize Communities Within a Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

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Fragmentation affects plant community composition over time

et al. 2016

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Habitat fragmentation can lead to major changes in community composition, but little is known about the dynamics of these changes, or how community trajectories are affected by the initial state of habitat maturity. We use four landscape-scale experiments from different biogeographic regions to understand how plant community composition responds to fragmentation over decades. Within each experiment, we consider first whether plant communities in the most-fragmented treatments diverge in composition from plant communities in the least-fragmented treatments. Second, because communities embedded in different fragments may become more similar to one another over time (biotic homogenization), we asked whether beta diversity – compositional variation across space – declines among fragments over time. Third, we assessed whether fragmentation alters the degree to which temporal change in fragmented landscapes is due to ordered species losses and gains (nestedness) versus species replacements (turnover). For each of these three questions, we contrasted patterns of compositional change in mature communities following fragmentation (disassembly; n = 2 experiments) with patterns in newly-developing plant communities in fragments cleared of vegetation (assembly; n = 2 experiments). In the two studies where communities were disassembling, community composition in the most-fragmented habitats diverged from that in least-fragmented habitats. Beta diversity within a fragmentation treatment did not change over time at any of the four sites. In all four experiments, temporal patterns of compositional change were due mostly to species turnover, although nestedness played a role in the least-fragmented sites in two of the studies. Overall, the impacts on community composition varied among landscape experiments, and divergence may have been affected by the maturity of the plant community. Future comparisons across ecosystems that account for species identities (vs simply richness) will be critical for predicting the effects of fragmentation, managing mature plant communities in remnants, and restoring plant communities where habitat has been lost

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Section: Does Fragmentation Homogenize Communities Within a Landscapementioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Does Fragmentation Homogenize Communities Within a Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

Fragmentation affects plant community composition over time

et al. 2016

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“…Abiotic conditions experienced at edges of patches can influence within-patch communities (Farmilo et al, 2013;Jules and Shahani, 2003). Closed canopy plantations experience more stable temperature gradients, decreased drying of top soil layers (Butterfield, 1999), less wind and direct sunlight, and moister soil (Karen et al, 2008) compared to open habitats.…”

Section: Influences Of Abiotic Conditions and Vegetation Variables Onmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plantations, not farmlands, cause biotic homogenisation of ground-active beetles in south-eastern Australia

Sweaney

Driscoll

Lindenmayer

et al. 2015

Biological Conservation

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a b s t r a c tFollowing landscape change, species invasions and extinctions may lead to biotic homogenisation, resulting in increased taxonomic and functional similarity between previously distinct biotas. Biotic homogenisation is more likely to occur in landscapes where the matrix contrasts strongly with native vegetation patches. To test this, we examined the distribution of ground-active beetles in a landscape of remnant Eucalyptus open woodland patches where large areas of lower contrast matrix (farmland) are being transformed to high-contrast pine plantations in south-eastern Australia. We sampled beetles from 30 sites including six replicates of five categories; (1) remnants adjacent to farmland, (2) remnants adjacent to plantation, (3) farmland, (4) plantation, and, (5) remnants between pine plantation and farmland. Community composition in the pine matrix was similar to native patches embedded in pine (ANOSIM, Global R = 0.49, P < 0.000), which we suggest is due to biotic homogenisation. Remnant patches with edges of both farmland and pine plantation did not represent an intermediate community composition between patches surrounded by either matrix type, but rather a unique habitat with unique species. Farmland supported the greatest number of individuals (F = 9.049, df = 25, P < 0.000) and species (F = 5.875, df = 25, P = 0.002), even compared to native remnant patches. Our results suggest that matrix transformations can reduce species richness and homogenise within-patch populations. This may increase the risk of species declines in fragmented landscapes where plantations are not only replacing native vegetation patches, but also other matrix types that may better support biodiversity. Our findings are particularly concerning given expanding plantation establishment worldwide.

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“…We have previously shown that soil moisture and canopy cover are higher, and maximum daily temperature is lower, in small fragments as a result of shading by the adjacent pine matrix (Farmilo et al . ). Such changes in microclimate may affect demographic processes (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The native vegetation is currently shorter than the pine plantation (mean height: 25.0 ± 0.6 m compared with 28.9 ± 1.1 m), which is consequently overtopping and shading the fragment vegetation that it surrounds (Farmilo et al . ). Within the unfragmented control blocks, we sampled only the large (3.06 ha) and medium (0.88 ha) forest plots with the two ‘small’ (0.25 ha) plots excluded from sampling to ensure replication between treatments was balanced.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Changes in plant species density in an experimentally fragmented forest landscape: Are the effects scale-dependent?

et al. 2013

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The establishment of commercial tree plantations is a common cause of habitat fragmentation globally, yet the influence of this land use on plant species density in fragmented native forests requires further understanding. Theory predicts species density will be highest in large areas of habitat, and should decline as area is reduced, but whether these effects are scale-dependent is largely unknown.We assessed plant species density (total, common and uncommon species) in experimentally fragmented eucalypt forest remnants (0.25, 0.88, 3.06 ha) surrounded by a pine plantation, at three spatial scales using nested quadrats. Specifically, we consider how plant species density varies across three different sized fragments, and whether the response of species density is magnified in common or uncommon species. Species density in small fragments was higher than continuous forest for all species groupings at the smallest spatial scale (1 m 2 ), and for total and common species at the next smallest spatial scale (16 m 2 ). No species groupings responded to reductions in habitat area at the largest spatial scale (144 m 2 ).We suggest that pine plantations may cause higher species density in small fragments via two mechanisms, either by allowing species to infill unoccupied areas within small fragments, or by buffering small fragments from species losses during a severe and prolonged drought. In both cases we suspect reduced moisture stress (e.g. increased soil moisture, higher shading and reduced temperature) in small fragments has led to the observed changes in species density.

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Pine plantations modify local conditions in forest fragments in southeastern Australia: Insights from a fragmentation experiment

Cited by 13 publications

References 53 publications

Fragmentation affects plant community composition over time

Fragmentation affects plant community composition over time

Plantations, not farmlands, cause biotic homogenisation of ground-active beetles in south-eastern Australia

Changes in plant species density in an experimentally fragmented forest landscape: Are the effects scale-dependent?

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