Nonconstituent species in soil seed banks as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in forest fragments

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2300-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luxiang Lin ◽  
Min Cao ◽  
Yongtao He ◽  
Jerry M Baskin ◽  
Carol C Baskin

Forest fragmentation is prevalent in regions with high human population density, but also with high biological diversity, such as southwestern China. Predicting potential changes in species composition in native forest ecosystems resulting from forest fragmentation is an important approach in assessing forest ecosystems and sustainable management of forests. The term nonconstituent species is proposed for plant species that occur in a natural landscape but are not native to it. We hypothesized that fragmentation of continuous forests significantly increases both the richness and the size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species. To test our hypothesis we compared soil seed banks in three small fragments and one large tract of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. In total, 249 species were identified in all soil samples from the four sites. Nonconstituent species represented 36.4%–61.5% of the total taxa and 33.8%–59.6% of total germinants from soil samples in the three forest fragments, but only 3.7%–7.9% of total taxa and 7.5%–9.4% of total germinants from soil samples in the continuous forest tract. Both richness and size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species were greater under forest fragments than under continuous forest. A majority of nonconstituent species were native weeds and annual herbs with wind-dispersed seeds; most were present in soil seed banks but not in aboveground vegetation. We suggest that nonconstituent species in soil seed banks could be used as an indicator species group for assessing human disturbance. If so, the richness and size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species could play an important role in quantifying disturbance in forests.

Oryx ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo M. Vergara ◽  
Javier A. Simonetti

Depending on the mosaic of habitats that is created, forest fragmentation can reduce the abundance and diversity of forest birds. Temperate deciduous forests in South America are rapidly being replaced by pine plantations, causing changes in habitats for both breeding and migrant birds. We examined differences in avian species richness and abundance in three areas: a reserve with continuous tracts of native forest, forest fragments and pine plantations. Four species were negatively affected by fragmentation, with their abundance declining from continuous forest to pine plantations. Fourteen species were not affected by fragmentation and eight had significantly increased abundance in pine plantations compared to continuous forest. Overall abundance in pooled and ground/understorey birds was higher in forest fragments and pine plantations compared to continuous forest. The abundance of granivorous species was higher in the pine plantations than in the forest reserve, but the abundance of insectivorous species was higher in the forest reserve and in forest fragments than in pine plantations. Thus, forest fragmentation affects birds differentially according to their feeding ecology.


Biotropica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Valenta ◽  
Travis S. Steffens ◽  
Radoniaina R. Rafaliarison ◽  
Colin A. Chapman ◽  
Shawn M. Lehman

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Juliana Marchesan ◽  
Rudiney Soares Pereira ◽  
Elisiane Alba ◽  
Letícia Daiane Pedrali

The goal of this work was to calculate landscape ecology metrics using the R language, allowing the analysis of forest fragments under the Atlantic Forest domain located in the sub-basin of Arroio Jaquirana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For the mapping of the forest fragments, we used images from the REIS/RapidEye sensor dated 2016, and the classification was supervised through the Bhattacharya algorithm. The fragments were analyzed in seven size classes, to separate them and to calculate the landscape metrics it was used R language. The results attained demonstrated that the native forest occupied 34.01% of the study area, covering a total of 1,995 fragments, of which 93.43% were less than 5 ha. The highest values of edge and perimeter-area ratio were found in the small fragments indicating a greater edge effect, with the central areas of these remnants being exposed to the external matrix effects. Thus, it is concluded that the Atlantic Forest is highly fragmented and is extremely important to establish measures to minimize the effects and/or increase the connectivity between the fragments through ecological corridors using the smaller fragments, in addition, it makes necessary the development of public policies and research for the management of the region in order to preserve the remnants.


2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edivani Villaron Franceschinelli ◽  
Roselaini Mendes do Carmo ◽  
Carlos De Melo e Silva Neto ◽  
Bruno Bastos Gonçalves ◽  
Leonardo Lima Bergamini

In Brazil, the Atlantic forest remnants have high biological diversity and a high level of endemism, but very little is known about the reproductive success of native species. <em>Cabralea canjerana</em> is a common tree in the Montane Atlantic forest, and its reproduction is highly dependent on pollinators. In order to contribute with the particular knowledge on this species, we collected data in three fragmented and three continuous forest sites, where the effects of fragmentation on both mutualistic (pollination) and antagonistic (seed predation) interactions were analysed. We determined fruit production and weight of 25 trees per site. The number of seeds and the percentage of predated and aborted seeds were also accessed for seven fruits of 10 trees per site. Pollinator visitation frequencies to flowers were recorded in two forest fragments and in two sites of the continuous forest. Our data showed<em> </em>that plants of <em>C. canjerana</em> produced more fruits (z-value=-8.24; p&lt;0.0001) and seeds per fruit (z-value=-6.58; p=0.002) in the continuous than in the fragmented sites. This was likely due to differences in pollination, because the number of pollinator visits was higher in the continuous forest than in the fragments. Seed abortion (z-value=4.08, p&lt;0.001) and predation (z-value=3.72, p=0.0002), on the other hand, were higher in the fragmented than in the continuous sites. Then, mutualistic and antagonistic interactions were affected by fragmentation, decreasing the reproductive success of the study tree. This study was the first to show a decrease in the reproductive output in forest fragments in an Atlantic forest tree species. This decrease may threaten the population structure and viability of <em>C. canjerana</em> in forest fragments.


1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Cosson ◽  
Jean-Marc Pons ◽  
Didier Masson

The effects of tropical forest fragmentation on frugivorous and nectarivorous bats were studied on recent islands created by the flooding of a dam in French Guiana. Study sites include forest islands isolated by water, and control plots in nearby continuous forest. Studies began 1y before the onset of forest fragmentation and encompassed the first 3y after flooding. Forest fragmentation greatly modified the diversity and abundance of bats. Changes occurred more rapidly in the smallest fragments than in the largest one, and trends were remarkably similar among all the studied islands. Bat captures in islands were characterised by the scarcity of understorey frugivores. Differences in home range size and foraging strategies may explain why understorey fruit bat species are more sensitive to fragmentation than canopy ones. Changes in the frugivorous bat community may have indirect consequences on both the demographic and the genetic structures of plant populations inside forest fragments.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas ◽  
Selmy G. Jurado-Dzib ◽  
Candy R. Mezeta-Cob ◽  
Salvador Montiel ◽  
Armando Rojas ◽  
...  

Abstract:Several studies have evaluated the short-term effects of tropical forest fragmentation on plant taxonomic diversity, while only a few have evaluated its effects on functional or phylogenetic diversity. To our knowledge no study has looked at the long-term consequences of tropical forest fragmentation on the three main components of plant diversity simultaneously: taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. We sampled the vascular flora using belt transects (50 × 4 m) in a continuous tropical semi-evergreen forest (16 transects) and in an adjacent naturally fragmented forest (fragments of 1.7-My-old semi-evergreen forest immersed in a mangrove/sedge matrix) (18 transects), and compared their taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity. There were 36 species in the continuous forest and 28 in the fragmented forest. Continuous forest was taxonomically more diverse (25%) than the fragmented forest. All functional diversity metrics were greater (6–33%) in the continuous than in the fragmented forest. Phylogenetic diversity was 19% greater and phylogenetically more overdispersed in the continuous forest than in the fragmented forest. The results suggest that in the fragmented forest not only is taxonomic plant diversity lower, but functional and phylogenetic diversity are as well. The negative effects of forest fragmentation on plant diversity seem to be chronic.


2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 523-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Lippok ◽  
Florian Walter ◽  
Isabell Hensen ◽  
Stephan G. Beck ◽  
Matthias Schleuning

Abstract:Vast areas of tropical forests have been deforested by human activities, resulting in landscapes comprising forest fragments in matrices of deforested habitats. Soil seed banks (SSB) are essential sources for the regeneration of tropical forests after disturbance. In a fragmented montane landscape in the Bolivian Andes, we investigated SSB in three different habitat types that were associated with different degrees of disturbance, i.e. in forest interior, at forest edges and in deforested habitats. Sampling of habitats was replicated at six sites ranging in altitude from 1950 to 2450 m asl. We extracted seeds from dried soil samples by sieving, classified seeds into morphospecies and size classes, and characterized SSB in terms of density, species richness and composition. We tested effects of disturbance (i.e. habitat type) and altitude on SSB characteristics. Overall, small seeds (<1 mm) dominated SSB (81% of sampled seeds). Seed density and species richness were lowest in deforested habitats, especially in large seeds and distant from adjacent forests (≥20 m), while small-seeded species were most numerous near forest margins. Species turnover between habitats was high. Altitude altered the composition of SSB, but had no effects on seed density and species richness. We conclude that the potential of SSB for natural regeneration of deforested habitats is low and decreases with increasing distance from forest remnants and that forest edges may be eventually invaded by small-seeded species from deforested habitats.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indriani Ekasari ◽  
Ronggo Sadono ◽  
Djoko Marsono ◽  
Joko Ridho Witono

Abstract. Ekasari I, Sadono R, Marsono D, Witono JR. 2021. Species composition and richness of viable seed bank after fire events in Mount Ciremai National Park and Kuningan Botanic Gardens, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3437-3447. Forest fire is an environmental disaster that can decline ecosystem function and restoration efforts must be considered to restore forest ecosystems after fire events. Natural regeneration using existing soil seed banks is a promising approach in restoration due to its advantage in terms of minimizing cost. This study aimed to examine the species composition and richness of germinable seed banks in several post-fire sites in Mount Ciremai National Park (MNCP) and Kuningan Botanic Gardens (KGB), West Java, Indonesia. One hundred fifty-eight soil samples were collected from the study sites representing fire events (i.e., four post-fire sites and one non-fire site), and soil depths (i.e., upper, middle, and lower). The collection of soil samples and identification of seedlings emergence were conducted from September 2019 to February 2020. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and correspondence analysis using SPSS Version 22. In total, 4626 emergence seedlings were recorded, belonging to 158 species and 58 families in which 41 families in the upper soil layer, 35 families in the middle soil layer, and 33 families in the lower soil layer. The results showed that Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Euphorbiaceae as the most dominant families. The upper soil layer of post-fire site 2018 had the highest species richness (R=11.98), while the lower soil layer of post-fire site 2012 had the lowest species richness (R=2.64). Our findings suggest that when carrying out restoration activities in post-fire areas, it is preferable to use native species that do not compete with species persisted in soil seed banks.


1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Walck ◽  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Carol C. Baskin

AbstractSeeds of the geographically-widespreadSolidago altissimaandS. nemoralisand the narrow-endemicS. shortiiwere buried in pots of soil and placed in a glasshouse without temperature control. After 0.3–4.3 years of burial, some seeds (21–60%) of all three species were viable and they germinated to 75–100% during 2 weeks of incubation in light at 30/15°C. Soil samples collected from several population sites ofS. altissima, S. nemoralisandS. shortiiwere placed in the glasshouse and monitored for seedling emergence. During the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth springs, the number ofS. altissimaseedlings m−2emerging was 108–1080, 8–494, 0–520, 0–69, 0–6 and 3, respectively, ofS. nemoraliswas 108–1122, 17–667, 0–42, 0–6, 0, 0 and 0, respectively, and ofS. shortiiwas 61–1753, 0–25, 0–6, 0, 0 and 0, respectively. More seedlings emerged from disturbed than from non-disturbed soil, but the differences were not significant. Thus, although some seeds of all three species buried in pots remained viable in soil throughout the 4.3-year burial period, longevity was greater and size of seed bank larger in field-collected soil samples containing seeds of the geographically-widespread species than in those containing seeds of the narrow endemic. Although 34 studies have reported seeds of 17 species ofSolidagopresent in soil seed banks, the present study is the first to show, conclusively thatSolidagocan form a persistent seed bank.


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