Edge creation changes the timing and intensity of phenological reproductive patterns and species activities in forest tree communities

João Pedro Costa Elias,Driélli Carvalho Vergne,Caroline Cambraia Furtado Campos,Flavio Nunes Ramos,Mariane Patrezi Zanatta

doi:10.1590/2175-7860202172038

João Pedro Costa Elias, Driélli Carvalho Vergne + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-7860202172038

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Abstract

Abstract Environmental characteristics are among the most important triggers and regulators of plant phenophases, so that the abiotic and biotic changes driven by habitat loss and fragmentation can result in alterations of plant phenological patterns. We investigated whether forest edge and interior have differences in phenological pattern of tree communities. We followed the reproductive phenologies of tree communities in seven forest fragments on a monthly basis for two years (in 200 m² edge and interior plots per fragment). We sampled a total of 0.28 ha of anthropic forest fragments, comprising 313 trees (180 in edge, 133 in interior) belonging to 103 species and 34 families. Our results evidenced reproductive phenological changes between edge and interior tree communities, with: (i) phenological activities differing temporally between the two habitats (edge and forest interior) in all tree communities; (ii) greater phenological intensity at the forest edge than in the forest interior among tree species common to both habitats; (iii) more tree species showed phenological activity at the forest edge in 2010 and interior in 2011, when considering only those exclusive to each habitat. Habitat fragmentation can therefore alter microenvironmental characteristics and influence biologic processes, including the reproductive phenologies of trees, through edge formation.

Highlights

Studies of tree reproductive phenology can aid ecosystem conservation and management efforts by elucidating many aspects of plant community organization and maintenance (Chambers et al 2013)
Generalists and pioneer species are usually favored by edge formation, and increased flower and fruit production are usually the main phenological changes observed in those situations (Cunningham 2000; Xiao et al 2016)
Temporal differences of flowering period between the habitats were evidenced by the seasonality only in the forest interior (z = 6.951, p =< 0.001) (Fig. 2a)

Summary

Introduction

Studies of tree reproductive phenology can aid ecosystem conservation and management efforts by elucidating many aspects of plant community organization and maintenance (Chambers et al 2013). Recent studies have revealed marked abiotic differences between forest edges and interiors (Riutta et al 2014; Wicklein et al 2012) that can affect the reproductive patterns of plant communities and their associated species (Athayde & Morellato 2014). Phenological studies in anthropogenic landscapes, have largely been limited to population studies (e.g., Vogado et al 2016; Matias-Palafox et al 2017; Oliveira et al 2019), whereas the few studies with a community approach have showed increased phenological intensities of trees at forest edges (Fortunato & Quirino 2016), with synchronize different from those in the forest interior (Cunningham 2000; Reznik et al 2012). Generalists and pioneer species are usually favored by edge formation, and increased flower and fruit production are usually the main phenological changes observed in those situations (Cunningham 2000; Xiao et al 2016). Instead specialist or climax species that are adapted to forest interior conditions tend to decrease their reproductive activities near the forest edge (Xiao et al 2016)

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