Patterns of forest vegetation responses to edge effect as revealed by a continuous approach
Patterns of forest vegetation responses to edge effect as revealed by a continuous approach
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DOI：
10.1007/s13595-013-0301-0
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发表时间：
2013-09-01
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Deconchat, Marc
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Alignier, Audrey;Deconchat, Marc
了解植被分布的变异性及其决定因素是解决边缘对生态过程影响的核心问题。最近的研究揭示了对边缘效应的反应模式的不一致性，提出了关于其决定因素的重要问题。我们调查了边缘效应的响应模式，通过适应最近提出的连续的方法，在法国西南部的小森林片段的情况下，我们调查了森林林下植被（组成，物种丰富度，和覆盖率）和非生物变量（土壤温度，湿度，pH值，和冠层开放度）沿沿着28横断面硬林边缘。我们测试了五个统计模型，以描述每个变量的响应模式（1）在所有样带和（2）每个样带。然后，我们比较了响应模式的边缘属性（方向，地形，和相邻的土地覆盖）和森林斑块大小的函数。在所有的样带，观察到一个普遍的下降趋势，为所有变量的距离从边缘增加。在个别样带，我们证明了一个大的变异性的响应模式，是不相关的边缘属性或补丁大小。这是很难评估的深度边缘的影响，在高度分散的森林，并确定边缘效应的决定因素。我们建议，应采取谨慎的研究，使用池样带，并应进行进一步的研究，包括中性模式的情况下，以获得更广泛的了解边缘对植被的影响。
Understanding the variability of vegetation distribution and its determinants is a central issue for addressing the effects of edges on ecological processes. Recent studies have revealed inconsistencies in the patterns of responses to edge effects that raise important questions about their determinants. We investigated the edge effect response patterns by adapting a recently proposed continuous approach to the case of small forest fragments in southwestern France.We surveyed forest understory vegetation (composition, species richness, and percent cover) and abiotic variables (soil temperature, moisture, pH, and canopy openness) along 28 transects across hard forest edges. We tested five statistical models to describe the response pattern of each variable (1) over all transects and (2) per transect. We then compared the response patterns as a function of the attributes of the edge (orientation, topography, and adjacent land cover) and forest patch size.Over all transects, a general decreasing trend was observed for all variables as the distance from the edge increased. In the individual transects, we evidenced a large variability in the response patterns that was not related to edge attributes or to patch size.It is difficult to assess the depth of edge influence in highly fragmented forests and to identify the determinants of edge effects. We recommend that care should be taken with studies using pool of transects, and that further studies should be carried out including situations with neutral patterns, in order to gain a broader understanding of edge effects on vegetation.