Abstract
In the Patagonian Andes of Argentina, Austrocedrus chilensis is one of the native tree species most affected by forest fragmentation, resulting in remnants stands surrounded by grasslands. We studied vegetation in the edges of stands of dense A. chilensis adjoining areas that were cut 10 years earlier, with special reference to A. chilensis regeneration, diversity, abundance and specific species distribution. We found that the original composition of the vegetation had been strongly modified, there was a high proportion of exotic herbaceous species in the edge. Diversity and abundance of woody species was superior in the core forest (p = 0.0289 and p = 0.0149), and so was the richness of native species (p = 0.0053) and regeneration of A. chilensis (p = 0.0408). On the other hand the abundance of herbaceous species was greater in the edge (p = 0.0197). During the first years of the succession, the forest in the edge area tends to retract.
Highlights
Habitat loss and fragmentation are closely related processes
In the Patagonian Andes of Argentina, Austrocedrus chilensis is one of the native tree species most affected by forest fragmentation, resulting in remnants stands surrounded by grasslands
Gobbi (1994) demonstrated that there was a slow recovery of the shrub stratum in an A. chilensis forest disturbed by fire 15 years before
Summary
Habitat loss and fragmentation are closely related processes. A conceptual perspective developed by Haila (2002) suggests that fragmentation must be regarded as a specific form of habitat degradation. One of the most important consequences of forest fragmentation is the increase of edge areas. The edge is an area of contact between two adjacent ecosystems, that influence each other, creating special conditions which differ from the original ones (Murcia, 1995). There was a decrease of the rainforest plants, a peak of colonising plants in the edges and weeds outside the forest. For conservation purposes the size of the patch and the modification of the forest features beyond their range of natural intrinsic variation owed to the exposure to the edge are key factors in predicting if forest remnants will decrease or increase (Esseen, 1994; Young and Mitchell, 1994; Murcia, 1995)
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