Exogenous Control of Forest Dynamics: Experimental Test of the Role of Edge

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Forest landscapes are increasingly fragmented. This project will explore an important mechanism of forest response to this fragmentation. The objectives of the proposed research are to 1) determine experimentally whether edges inhibit, facilitate, or have no net effect on the exogenous control of forest interior dynamics; and 2) to determine the specific mechanisms for the interaction between forest edge and interior, and the surrounding landscape. The study uses exotic species that are not common in forest interiors as indicators of external influence, & examines relevant processes, including seed input, seed storage, seed and seedling survival, role of seedling predation, and role of fine scale disturbances. %%% The interaction between forest islands and the surrounding landscape may occur principally through forest edges. Yet, existing research does not indicate how edges work to control the input and survival of tree seedlings in the forest interior. Plant dispersal and plant-animal interactions across forest edges play a key role in forest dynamics in fragmented landscapes. The information will be relevant to management of forest fragments, restoration and conservation of forests in fragmented landscapes, and monitoring and compensating for the effects of global environmental change on fragmented forests.