Woody plant composition of forest layers: the importance of environmental conditions and spatial configuration

Gonzalez, Maya; Deconchat, Marc; Balent, Gérard

doi:10.1007/s11258-009-9572-9

Cited by 9 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Godefroid & Koedam (2003) found no forest species occurring only in the interior zone they studied, located at least 1 km from an urban area. Our results were in accordance with the findings of Gonzalez et al (2009) andHonnay et al (2002): Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea and Convallaria majalis were also identified as core species in these studies whereas Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur, Galium aparine, Hedera helix, Sambucus nigra and Urtica dioica displayed edge profile. However, our results point to a much higher distance of correlation than those detected in the previous studies.…”

Section: Predictorsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Many studies have quantified a depth-of-edge influence (DEI), operating over the distance from the edge to the adjacent habitat where there is a tangible edge influence (Harper et al 2005). Depending on the variables considered (biotic or abiotic), this edge influence can extend into the forest for just a few metres or for as much as several hundred metres (Murcia 1995;Honnay et al 2002;Harper et al 2005;Gignac & Dale 2007;Gonzalez et al 2009Gonzalez et al , 2010. Forest edges have generally higher plant species richness (Ranney et al 1981;Fraver 1994;Gonzalez et al 2010), and higher shrub richness and cover (Matlack 1994a;Gignac & Dale 2007), than the forest interior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of the literature investigating both edge and patch size across multiple taxa did not control for one potential effect while testing for the other, with many edge effects mistakenly presented as patch size effects (Fletcher et al 2007). Only a limited number of studies on plants have taken into account both patch size and distance-from-edge effects in their approach (Guirado et al 2006;Gignac & Dale 2007;Gonzalez et al 2009). In this study, patch size was considered as a covariate, with no discussion of its influence, even though it is of primary importance in fragmented landscapes (Honnay et al 1999a;Kolb & Diekmann 2005;Ewers et al 2007) The aims of the present work were to:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understorey plant species show long‐range spatial patterns in forest patches according to distance‐to‐edge

Pellissier

Bergès²,

Nedeltcheva

et al. 2012

J Vegetation Science

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Questions: How does the presence of understorey plant species vary with distance to edge along very large periphery-to-interior and forest patch size gradients? Can forest core and periphery species profiles be identified? What life-history traits can discriminate between forest core and forest periphery species? Location: Temperate forests in the northern half of France. Methods: Local climate, soil, stand characteristics and landscape metrics were collected on 19 989 plots in 1801 forest patches using data from the French National Forest Inventory. Very large distance-to-edge (3-1096 m) and patch size gradients (327-100 000 ha) were explored. Four logistic regression models were compared to determine the response patterns of 214 species to distance-to-edge, while controlling for patch size and local habitat quality (soil, climate and stand). The maximum distance of correlation between species occurrence and distance-to-edge was assessed using response curve characteristics. The relationships between life-history traits (habitat preference, preference for ancient forests , reproduction mode, dispersal mode, life form and autecology) and species profile according to distance-to-edge were tested. Results: Of the 214 species analysed, 40 had a core profile and 38 a periphery profile. The maximum distance of correlation was on average 748 m. Core species were more often species reproducing both by seed and vegetatively, ancient forest species, anemochores, bryophytes, pteridophytes, hemicryptophytes and acidophiles, whereas peripheral species were more often species reproducing by seed only, endozoochores, phanerophytes, thermophiles, basophiles, nitrogen-demanding and heliophiles. Conclusions: Significant periphery-to-core patterns of distribution were detected over much larger ranges than hitherto recognized for common under-storey plant species. Plant traits differentiated forest core from forest periphery species. This deep gradient cannot be solely explained by the usual edge-related biotic and abiotic factors. We hypothesized that it was due to edge displacement following general reforestation since ca. 1830. This edge shift created recent forests with new habitats on former agricultural lands where dispersal-limited core species had slowly expanded and forest edge species regressed at variable speeds. This long periphery-to-interior gradient of presence has important implications for forest plant species distribution, dynamics and conservation.

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Section: Predictorsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Understorey plant species show long‐range spatial patterns in forest patches according to distance‐to‐edge

Pellissier

Bergès²,

Nedeltcheva

et al. 2012

J Vegetation Science

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“…In more shaded conditions, seedlings and suckers can be out-competed by more competitive species such as oak and beech (Schr€ otter 2001;Hochbichler 2003;Geb, Schmidt & Meyer 2004), but in less highly shaded conditions, they will persist as a sapling bank from 10 to 20 years of age or as mature trees, showing little annual growth or reproduction until a canopy gap opens up (Kausch-Blecken von Schmeling 1994b;Prudi c 1997;St anescu, S ßofletea & Popescu 1997;Hochbichler 2003;Kahle 2004;Rich et al 2010). As such, it is rarely a canopy tree in cool western areas of Europe; for example, in mixed oak woodlands in south-west France, S. torminalis occurred in 37-54% of 400 m 2 plots as an understorey shrub, and only 7% of plots as a canopy tree (Gonzalez, Deconchat & Balent 2009). In a Quercus petraea woodland in south-west Germany, Pyttel, Kunz & Bauhus (2013) found that 65% of S. torminalis trees were <7 cm DBH, and most were <10 m tall with only occasional trees >20 m and so shorter than the oaks.…”

Section: ( B ) P E R F O R M a N C E I N V A R I O U S H A B I T A T Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Flora of the British Isles:Sorbus torminalis

Thomas

2017

Journal of Ecology

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Summary1. This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz (Wild Service-tree) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history and conservation. 2. Sorbus torminalis is an uncommon, mostly small tree (but can reach 33 m) native to lowland England and Wales, and temperate and Mediterranean regions of mainland Europe. It is the most shade-tolerant member of the genus in the British Isles, and as a result, it is more closely associated with woodland than any other British species. Like other British Sorbus species, however, it grows best where competition for space and sunlight is limited. Seedlings are shade tolerant but adults are only moderately so. This, combined with its low competitive ability, restricts the best growth to open areas. In shade, saplings and young adults form a sapling bank, showing reproduction and extensive growth only when released. Sorbus torminalis tolerates a wide range of soil reaction (pH 3Á5-8Á0) but grows best on calcareous clays and thin soils over limestone. 3. Sorbus torminalis is a sexual, diploid, non-apomictic species that has hybridised with a number of other Sorbus species to form microspecies. The hermaphrodite flowers are primarily insect pollinated. Seed production is reliable only in warm years, especially at the edge of its range, although even then seed viability is low. The fruits are primarily dispersed by carnivorous mammals. Seeds display embryo dormancy but most will germinate the first spring after falling. 4. This tree is very tolerant of short droughts but only moderately tolerant of frost, hence its southerly and lowland distribution. It faces no particular individual threats although the small size of most populations makes it susceptible to habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly through the loss of open coppiced areas. As a consequence, it appears to be declining throughout Britain and Europe despite its wide range of historical uses and the high value of its timber. The extent to which these losses will be offset by increases due to climate change is unknown.Key-words: climatic limitation, communities, conservation, ecophysiology, geographical and altitudinal distribution, germination, herbivory, mycorrhiza, parasites and diseases, reproductive biology, soils Wild Service-tree or Chequers/Chequer tree. Rosaceae. Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz (Crataegus torminalis L., Pyrus torminalis (L.) Ehrh., Aria torminalis (L.) Beck., Torminaria clusii Roem., Torminalis clusii (Roem.) Roberts & Phipps) is usually a subordinate, subcanopy tree or shrub of temperate deciduous forests, and more rarely a co-dominant canopy tree reaching 30-33 m. Suckers profusely. Crown narrow when shaded but round, ...

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“…The scale at which the study is carried out is one of the most important factors when analysing species, richness and 2 International Journal of Biodiversity diversity changes as the variables impacting the species in a given area at a given scale might not be as important when analysed at a different scale [12,[23][24][25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Plant Species’ Richness and Diversity Influenced by Fragmentation at a Microscale?

Aguirre‐Gutiérrez

2014

International Journal of Biodiversity

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It is argued that forest fragmentation has negative effects on biodiversity at the short and long term; however, these effects might be dependent on the specific vegetation of the study area and its intrinsic characteristics. The processes leading to fragmentation are very diverse and many of them have anthropogenic causes as logging actions and clearings for agricultural fields. Furthermore, it is thought that scale plays an important role in the expected effects of fragmentation on biodiversity. In this study the effect of forest fragmentation and its impact on the woody plants species, richness and diversity are analysed considering three vegetation types in a poorly studied and difficult access biodiversity hotspot in northern Mexico. The results show that the effects of fragmentation are dependent on the vegetation type and that these are not strongly related to the species richness, and diversity in a microscale (100 m 2 ). Fragmentation effects on biodiversity must be analysed in a broad scale, considering the fragment as a whole. Furthermore, conservation priority should be given to the larger fragments, which could potentially maintain a higher portion of biodiversity. Management should also be focused on increasing the connectivity between these big and medium size forest patches.

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Woody plant composition of forest layers: the importance of environmental conditions and spatial configuration

Cited by 9 publications

References 60 publications

Understorey plant species show long‐range spatial patterns in forest patches according to distance‐to‐edge

Understorey plant species show long‐range spatial patterns in forest patches according to distance‐to‐edge

Biological Flora of the British Isles:Sorbus torminalis

Are Plant Species’ Richness and Diversity Influenced by Fragmentation at a Microscale?

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