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Defining functional groups and their vulnerability to the edge effect in a peri-urban forest in Mexico City

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2018

GABRIELA SANTIBÁÑEZ-ANDRADE ,
CARLOS GRANADOS-PELÁEZ  and
ARTURO GARCÍA-ROMERO
GABRIELA SANTIBÁÑEZ-ANDRADE*
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
CARLOS GRANADOS-PELÁEZ
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Institute of Geography, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
ARTURO GARCÍA-ROMERO
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Institute of Geography, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
*
*Correspondence: Dr Gabriela Santibáñez-Andrade email: gabysant@ciencias.unam.mx
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Summary

The expansion of human settlements and primary-sector activities (agriculture and forestry) has resulted in the fragmentation of forests, but the impacts of this are still poorly understood. We examined the effect of patch size on the presence of plant functional groups along an edge–interior gradient. Plant species were classified based on a two-way indicator species analysis in order to determine their establishment thresholds and vulnerability along the gradient, while detrended correspondence analyses and canonical correspondence analyses were performed to identify environmental gradients related to vegetation distribution. Two groups of plant species were recognized in all patch sizes: one commonly found towards the edge and the other in the interior zone. The incidence of these groups was correlated with environmental factors associated with the edge–interior gradient, mainly with humidity, soil moisture and light (canopy opening and global site factor) in the edge zone and with litter cover, depth of litter, slope and soil and air temperature in the interior zone. Identifying the species’ threshold responses to fragmentation is key, as they provide tools to prevent the potential local extinction of species.

Keywords

edge responsespatch sizeforest edgefunctional groupslandscape and fragmentation
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 342 - 351
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2018 

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Footnotes

Supplementary material can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892917000595

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