scholarly journals Edge effects alter the role of fungi and insects in mediating functional composition and diversity of seedling recruits in a fragmented tropical forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (7) ◽  
pp. 1181-1191
Author(s):  
Meghna Krishnadas ◽  
Kavya Agarwal ◽  
Liza S Comita
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Wood Density ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Forest Fragments

Abstract Background and Aims In fragmented forests, proximity to forest edges can favour the establishment of resource-acquisitive species over more resource-conservative species. During seedling recruitment, resource-acquisitive species may benefit from either higher light availability or weaker top-down effects of natural enemies. The relative importance of light and enemies for recruitment has seldom been examined with respect to edge effects. Methods In a human-modified wet tropical forest in India, we first examined how functional traits indicative of resource-acquisitive vs. resource-conservative strategies, i.e. specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content, wood density and seed size, explained interspecific differences in densities of seedling recruits with distance to the forest edge. Then, we checked whether fungicide and insecticide treatments and canopy openness (proxy for light availability) explained edge effects on trait-mediated changes in seedling density. Finally, we examined whether light availability and natural enemy activity explained edge effects on functional diversity of seedling recruits. Key Results Up to 60 m from edges, recruit densities increased with decreasing seed size, but not at 90–100 m, where recruit densities increased with higher SLA. Trait-mediated variation in recruit densities changed with pesticides only at 90–100 m: compared with control plots, fungicide increased recruit densities for low SLA species and insecticide increased smaller seeded species. For SLA, wood density and seed size, functional diversity of recruits was higher at 90–100 m than at 0–5 m. At 90–100 m, fungicide decreased functional diversity for SLA and insecticide reduced seed size diversity compared with control plots. Canopy openness explained neither variation in recruit density in relation to traits nor functional diversity. Conclusions Altered biotic interactions can mediate local changes to trait composition and functional diversity during seedling recruitment in forest fragments, hinting at downstream effects on the structure and function of human-modified forests.

Edge Effects on Lizards and Frogs in Tropical Forest Fragments

2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 1079-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin A. Schlaepfer ◽  
Thomas A. Gavin
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Forest Fragments

scholarly journals Edge-effects Drive Tropical Forest Fragments Towards an Early-Successional System

Biotropica ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 657-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Tabarelli ◽  
Ariadna V. Lopes ◽  
Carlos A. Peres
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Forest Fragments

scholarly journals Multi-taxa environmental DNA inventories reveal distinct taxonomic and functional diversity in urban tropical forest fragments

2021 ◽  
pp. e01724
Author(s):  
Julian Donald ◽  
Jérôme Murienne ◽  
Jérôme Chave ◽  
Amaia Iribar ◽  
Eliane Louisanna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Forest Fragments

Increased female reproduction favours the large-seeded palm Attalea humilis in small Atlantic Forest fragments

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia S. Andreazzi ◽  
Alexandra S. Pires ◽  
Clarissa S. Pimenta ◽  
Fernando A. S. Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Abiotic Conditions ◽  
Attalea Humilis

Palms are important components of tropical forest plant communities, due both to their abundance (Henderson et al. 2000) and to the network of interactions with their pollinators and dispersers (Henderson 2002, Zona & Henderson 1989). Forest fragmentation alters the biotic and abiotic conditions of habitats (Ewers & Didham 2006, Fahrig 2003) and it has been observed that Attalea palms increase their densities in disturbed sites (Aguiar & Tabarelli 2009, Andreazzi et al. 2012, Lorenzi et al. 2004). Increased light availability (Salm 2005, Souza & Martins 2004), changes in seed dispersal and predation patterns (Andreazzi et al. 2012, Pimentel & Tabarelli 2004, Wright et al. 2000), and ability to recover after disturbance (Souza & Martins 2004) are among the main mechanisms that have been proposed to explain enhanced palm densities. However, how altered conditions following disturbances influence the dynamics of flower and fruit production is still little understood.

Comparing the potential reproductive phenology between restored areas and native tropical forest fragments in Southeastern Brazil

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Débora Cristina Rother ◽  
Igor Lopes Ferreira Sousa ◽  
Eliana Gressler ◽  
Ana Paula Liboni ◽  
Vinícius Castro Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Forest Fragments

scholarly journals Quantifying Understory Complexity in Unmanaged Forests Using TLS and Identifying Some of Its Major Drivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1513
Author(s):  
Dominik Seidel ◽  
Peter Annighöfer ◽  
Christian Ammer ◽  
Martin Ehbrecht ◽  
Katharina Willim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Seasonal Precipitation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Precipitation And Temperature

The structural complexity of the understory layer of forests or shrub layer vegetation in open shrublands affects many ecosystem functions and services provided by these ecosystems. We investigated how the basal area of the overstory layer, annual and seasonal precipitation, annual mean temperature, as well as light availability affect the structural complexity of the understory layer along a gradient from closed forests to open shrubland with only scattered trees. Using terrestrial laser scanning data and the understory complexity index (UCI), we measured the structural complexity of sites across a wide range of precipitation and temperature, also covering a gradient in light availability and basal area. We found significant relationships between the UCI and tree basal area as well as canopy openness. Structural equation models (SEMs) confirmed significant direct effects of seasonal precipitation on the UCI without mediation through basal area or canopy openness. However, annual precipitation and temperature effects on the UCI are mediated through canopy openness and basal area, respectively. Understory complexity is, despite clear dependencies on the available light and overall stand density, significantly and directly driven by climatic parameters, particularly the amount of precipitation during the driest month.

scholarly journals Effects of disturbance intensity on species and functional diversity in a tropical forest

2012 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 1453-1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geovana Carreño-Rocabado ◽  
Marielos Peña-Claros ◽  
Frans Bongers ◽  
Alfredo Alarcón ◽  
Juan-Carlos Licona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Disturbance Intensity

Dispersal of Goeppertia marantifolia clonal offspring increases with greater canopy openness and larger plant size

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Matlaga ◽  
Rachel K. Snyder ◽  
Carol C. Horvitz
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Parent Plant ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Corcovado National Park ◽  
Positive Effect

Abstract:Many plants within the neotropical understorey produce both seeds and clonal offspring. Plant attributes (i.e. size) and variability in light can influence seed dispersal but it is not known if these factors influence the dispersal of clonal offspring. Our goal was to determine if canopy openness and plant size influence clonal-offspring dispersal of the herb Goeppertia marantifolia, which produces clonal bulbils on above-ground shoots. We monitored plants in permanent plots with varying levels of canopy openness in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. We recorded canopy openness, leaf area and the distance clonal offspring travelled from their parent plant (N = 283). Our path analysis model demonstrated that canopy openness had a strong positive effect on dispersal distance, while the association between clonal-offspring dispersal distance and parent plant leaf area was only weakly positive. On average, plants experiencing high canopy openness dispersed their clonal offspring further than plants under low canopy openness (124 cm vs. 79 cm, respectively). Contrary to studies on species that utilize rhizomes and stolons for clonal reproduction, we found that in this bulbil-producing species light availability is positively associated with clonal dispersal distance. Therefore, the influence of resource availability on spatial population dynamics of clonal species may be influenced by the species’ growth-form.

scholarly journals Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

2011 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1007-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gabriela G. Camargo ◽  
Regina M. Souza ◽  
Paula Reys ◽  
Leonor P.C. Morellato
Keyword(s):  
Edge Effects ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Cerrado Savanna ◽  
Cardinal Direction ◽  
Floral Visitation

The Brazilian cerrado has undergone an intense process of fragmentation, which leads to an increase in the number of remnants exposed to edge effects and associated changes on environmental conditions that may affect the phenology of plants. This study aimed to verify whether the reproductive phenology of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) differs under different light conditions in a cerrado sensu stricto (a woody savanna) of southeastern Brazil. We compared the reproductive phenology of X. aromatica trees distributed on east and south cardinal faces of the cerrado during monthly observations, from January 2005 to December 2008. The east face had a higher light incidence, higher temperatures and canopy openness in relation to south face. X. aromatica showed seasonal reproduction at both faces of the cerrado, but the percentage of individuals, the synchrony and duration of phenophases were higher at the east face. The study demonstrated the influence of the environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation of the cerrado faces on the phenological pattern of X. aromatica. Similar responses may be observed for other species, ultimately affecting patterns of floral visitation and fruit production, which reinforces the importance of considering the cardinal direction in studies of edge effects and fragmentation.

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