The magnitude and extent of edge effects on vascular epiphytes across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Author(s)

Parra-Sanchez, Edicson ^[1] ; Banks-Leite, Cristina ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Imperial Coll London, Dept Life Sci, Silwood Pk Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, Berks - England

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 10, n. 1 NOV 2 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

Edge effects are ubiquitous landscape processes influencing over 70% of forest cover worldwide. However, little is known about how edge effects influence the vertical stratification of communities in forest fragments. We combined a spatially implicit and a spatially explicit approach to quantify the magnitude and extent of edge effects on canopy and understorey epiphytic plants in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Within the human-modified landscape, species richness, species abundance and community composition remained practically unchanged along the interior-edge gradient, pointing to severe biotic homogenisation at all strata. This is because the extent of edge effects reached at least 500 m, potentially leaving just 0.24% of the studied landscape unaffected by edges. We extrapolated our findings to the entire Atlantic Forest and found that just 19.4% of the total existing area is likely unaffected by edge effects and provide suitable habitat conditions for forest-dependent epiphytes. Our results suggest that the resources provided by the current forest cover might be insufficient to support the future of epiphyte communities. Preserving large continuous `intact' forests is probably the only effective conservation strategy for vascular epiphytes. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/51872-5 - ECOFOR: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in degraded and recovering Amazonian and Atlantic Forests
• Grantee: Carlos Alfredo Joly
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants