Abstract
BackgroundForest edges create distinctive ecological space as adjacent constituents, which distinguish between different ecosystems or land use types. These edges are made by anthropogenic or natural disturbance and affects both abiotic and biotic factors gradually. This study was carried out to assess edge effects on disturbed landscape at the pine-dominated clear-cut area in a genetic resources reserve in Uljin-gun, eastern Korea. This study aims to estimate the distance of edge influence by analyzing changes of abiotic and biotic factors along the distance from forest edge. Further, we recommend forest management strategy for sustaining healthy forest landscapes by reducing effects of deforestation.ResultsDistance of edge effect based on the abiotic factors varied from 8.2 to 33.0 m. The distances were the longest in Mg2+ content and total nitrogen, K+, Ca2+ contents, canopy openness, light intensity, air humidity, Na+ content, and soil temperature followed. The result based on biotic factors varied from 6.8 to 29.5 m, coverage of tree species in the herb layer showed the longest distance and coverage of shrub plant in the herb layer, evenness, species diversity, total coverage of herb layer, and species richness followed. As the result of calculation of edge effect by synthesizing 26 factors measured in this study, the effect was shown from 11.0 m of the forest interior to 22.4 m of the open space. In the result of stand ordination, Rhododendron mucronulatum, R. schlippenbachii, and Fraxinus sieboldiana dominated arrangement of forest interior sites and Quercus mongolica, Vitis amurensis, and Rubus crataegifolius dominated spatial distribution of the open area plots.ConclusionsForest interior habitat lies within the influence of both abiotic and biotic edge effects. Therefore, we need a forest management strategy to sustain the stability of the plant and further animal communities that depend on its stable conditions. For protecting forest interior, we recommend selective logging as a harvesting method for minimizing edge effects by anthropogenic disturbance. In fact, it was known that selective logging contributes to control light availability and wind regime, which are key factors affecting microclimate. In addition, ecological restoration applying protective planting for the remaining forest in the clear-cut area could contribute to prevent continuous disturbance in forest interior.
Highlights
Forest edges create distinctive ecological space as adjacent constituents, which distinguish between different ecosystems or land use types
Determination of the range of forest interior As the result of hierarchical clustering, the forest interior plot (C5), which is the farthest from the forest edge formed by clear cutting and the other plots of the forest interior were divided into different groups from each other (Fig. 2)
Ecological information of the forest interior plots except for C5 plot was used for calculating Magnitude of edge influence (MEI) and Distance of edge influence (DEI) to exclude the effects of the other environmental factors beside the edge effect
Summary
Forest edges create distinctive ecological space as adjacent constituents, which distinguish between different ecosystems or land use types These edges are made by anthropogenic or natural disturbance and affects both abiotic and biotic factors gradually. These edges are made by anthropogenic or natural disturbance and affects both abiotic and biotic factors gradually (Harper et al 2004). Edge effects can have serious impacts on species diversity and composition, community dynamics, and ecosystem functioning (Saunders et al 1991, Laurance et al 2006). The altered habitat may be contributing to forest degradation and the loss of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes (Saunders et al 1991, Gascon et al 2000, Laurance et al 2002)
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