Abstract

HENAO, Natalia; TORRES, Alba M.; TAFUR, Juan C.  and  GUEVARA, Leonardo. Is there an edge effect on the vegetation structure and regeneration potential of tropical dry forest fragments?. Biota colombiana [online]. 2018, vol.19, n.1, pp.3-20. ISSN 0124-5376.  https://doi.org/10.21068/c2018.v19n01a01.

Fragmentation is defined as the transformation of natural habitats into smaller forest patches that are isolated and immersed in matrices of reduced vegetation cover. The derived patches are exposed to the conditions of the external environment or edge effects, which can cause changes on the structure of plant communities and their regeneration. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the distance to the edge on the structure, diversity and regeneration potential of woody plants in two dry forest fragments. An active process of natural regeneration was registered; nevertheless, an edge effect on the studied variables for both fragments was not evidenced. The absence of an edge effect might be given by the time passed from the formation of the fragment, during which regeneration processes have produced vegetation that is similar in composition and structure to the whole forest. It was also observed that the matrices that surround these fragments constitute a barrier for their expansion and connectivity. To overcome such barrier, it is necessary to implement strategies that favor the dispersion of seeds towards the exterior and optimize the conditions for the germination and the establishment of the new individuals.

Keywords : Edge effect; Fragmentation; Recruitment; Sapling; Seedlings.

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