Effects Of Vegetation Management Research Articles

3D effects of soil-atmosphere interaction on infrastructure slope stability

It has long been established that pore water pressure (pwp) variations affect the stability and serviceability of slopes. Pwp variations may be due to consolidation/swelling processes within soils of low permeability or may be due to seasonal evapotranspiration and precipitation processes. The simultaneous study of such phenomena and of hydro-mechanical coupling in sloping ground requires use of advancednumerical methods. Often, infrastructure slopes are considered in plane strain (two-dimensional) conditions for simplicity and to date this is the case for most numerical analyses considering soil-atmosphere interaction. However, this approach makes it impossible to study the longitudinal extent of a possible slip surface forming following vegetation removal. Three-dimensional, fully-coupled numerical analyses of acut slope were performed herein to study the effect of vegetation clearance on stability and explore numerically ways of implementing effective vegetation management.

Fire hazard associated with different types of photovoltaic power plants: Effect of vegetation management

Synanthropic vegetation occurs at sites of photovoltaic power plants, where vegetation management is typically ignored, and can have adverse effects on photovoltaic panels as they increase fire hazards. Most scientific papers related to the installation and operation of solar power plants do not address the impact of photovoltaic power plants on vegetation and the associated fire hazards; grasslands, where photovoltaic power plants are usually located, have abundant grass that is highly flammable. This study was conducted in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic to monitor and quantify the occurrence of plant species at sites where two different types of photovoltaic panels were installed. It was hypothesized that different types of photovoltaic panels are associated with different types of vegetation. Vegetation was assessed using phytocoenological relevés. The vegetation was controlled by grazing sheep and mowing around photovoltaic panels. The results of this study indicated that stationary photovoltaic panels create favourable conditions for species that increase fire hazards. Fire hazards can be reduced using grazing or mowing and removal of biomass. Using rotating photovoltaic panels, combined with sheep grazing, is more effective for promoting vegetation that reduces the chances of fire. This study highlights that photovoltaic power plants represent a renewable and sustainable energy source; however, different types of photovoltaic panels are associated with different vegetation types. To eliminate fire hazards, it is necessary to employ suitable methods of vegetation management (e.g., grazing by animals). Furthermore, combining an appropriate method of vegetation management with rotating photovoltaic panels will further reduce fire hazards.

Transpiration of Anatolian black pine and sessile oak forest stands in a sub-humid region of Turkey

Transpiration is a key component of the watershed water budget. Therefore, determining the transpiration of forest stands with different characteristics have been of interest for watershed hydrology and forest management practices in a wide range of environments. The objectives of this study were to compare transpiration of Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) tree stands and to model transpiration based on the measured climatic factors. Stand transpirations were calculated from sap flow measurements made by the trunk heat balance method. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (PCR) to detect affecting meteorological factors of stand transpiration, and we developed linear regression equations to predict transpiration of pine and oak stands. Mean daily and yearly canopy transpiration (Ec) were 1.05 mm day-1 and 378.3 mm year-1 for the pine stand and 3.52 mm day-1 and 801.7 mm year-1 for the oak stand. There was a highly positive correlation between daily stand transpiration and wind speed, global radiation, air vapour pressure deficit and air temperature, but a negative correlation with relative humidity for both stands. Soil water potential had little effect on stand transpiration. The model equations accounted for 81% of the variations in transpiration for the pine stand and 85% for the oak stand. Therefore, the transpiration of forest stands should be considered for effective vegetation management practices, as model equations to estimate the transpiration of pine and oak stands in the region.

Effects of vegetation management on plant and insect functional group composition in Quercus serrata secondary forests on the Musashino Terrace, Japan

Effects of vegetation management on plant and insect functional group composition in <i>Quercus serrata</i> secondary forests on the Musashino Terrace, Japan

Strategic expansion of existing forest monitoring plots: a case study using a stratified GIS-based modelling approach

Background: Understanding the relationship between sites and the plant species they support is essential for effective vegetation management. Site-species matching requires knowledge of the growth response of a given species to the full range of environmental conditions in potential planting sites. This can be achieved by repeatedly measuring species growth at a comprehensive network of sample plots that cover a range of environmental conditions, including topography, climate, and soil factors. The New Zealand Dryland Forests Initiative has established permanent sample plots (PSPs) of a plantation species, Eucalyptus bosistoana F.Muell., across New Zealand. However, these PSPs do not cover the entire range of environmental conditions available for the species and hence there is a need to expand the network of sites. The aim of this study was to determine optimal locations for new PSPs to provide more unique information to support site-species matching studies for Eucalyptus bosistoana in New Zealand.Methods: A geographic information system (GIS) and stratified random sampling method were used to generate a model to identify optimal locations for E. bosistoana PSP establishment. The variables used in this study included topography, climate, and soil data. Redundancy between the initial set of potential explanatory variables was reduced by a multi-collinearity analysis. The potential habitat for the species was restricted to land with environmental conditions that could support E. bosistoana. All environmental variables were stratified and an initial priority index for each stratum in each variable was calculated. Then a weighted-overlay analysis was conducted to create the final priority index, which was mapped to identify high-priority areas for targeted PSP expansion.Results: The existing PSP network for E. bosistoana generally covers the environmental conditions in low-elevation New Zealand dry lands, which are located alongside the east coast of the South Island, and the southern part of the North Island. The model identified high priority areas for PSP expansion, including several large regions in the North Island, especially in Rangitikei and Taupo Districts.Conclusions: The model successfully allowed identification of areas for a strategic expansion of permanent sample plots for E. bosistoana. Newly identified areas expand upon the topographic, climatic, and soil conditions represented by the existing PSP network. The new area for PSP expansion has potential to provide valuable information for further site-species matching studies. The methodology in this paper has potential to be used for other plot networks of a different species, or even natural forests.

Effects of vegetation management on plant species composition and plant functional composition in Quercus serrata secondary forests on the Musashino terrace

Effects of vegetation management on plant species composition and plant functional composition in <i>Quercus serrata</i> secondary forests on the Musashino terrace

Effect of Vegetation Management and Site Conditions on Volume, Biomass and Leaf Area Allometry of Four Coniferous Species in the Pacific Northwest United States

Allometric equations are useful tools for calculating tree and stand-level attributes, such as above-ground biomass or stem volume, using simple measurements that can be obtained from stand inventory data. These equations tend to be species-specific and can be affected by site conditions and silvicultural treatments. Forest vegetation management treatments (VM) are an important component of reforestation programs in the Pacific Northwest of the United States; however, no study has investigated the impact of these treatments on crop tree allometry. In this study we assessed the long-term effects of two contrasting VM treatments on the allometry of sixteen-year-old Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and grand fir trees growing in Oregon’s central Coast Range (CR) and fifteen-year-old Douglas-fir and western redcedar trees growing in Oregon’s Cascade foothills (CF). The VM treatments included a control which received only a pre-planting herbicide application and a VM treatment consisting of five consecutive years of vegetation control after planting. The equations developed in this study were species-specific and were not affected by VM with the exception of western redcedar foliage biomass. For western redcedar, tress of similar diameter had more foliage biomass when growing on plots without VM after planting. The allometry of Douglas-fir and western redcedar was also found to be affected by site, such that trees of similar diameter and height had larger stem volume when growing at the CR site than the CF site. This difference in stem volume was found to be the result of differences in stem tapering. There was a strong relationship between stand basal area and leaf area index that was the same for all species tested and was unaffected by site. The equations presented in this study are useful for calculating stem volume, leaf area and individual tree and component biomass for stands of the studied species that are of similar age.

Effects of vegetation management on plant diversity in traditional irrigation systems

Acequias are historical community-operated water channels used for irrigating of traditional farming areas (vegas). They have been traditionally managed by local inhabitants, either by clearing weeds or by burning them in winter, in order to keep the channels clean of vegetation, thus avoiding their clogging. The impact of these cultural practices on vegetation has not still been studied. The aim of this paper is to show how traditional management influences floristic biodiversity in a traditional acequia in the vega of Granada (SE Spain). The acequia was treated following the traditional methodology used by farmers, being divided into areas that were burned, cleared, or left unchanged as control (January 2016). Afterwards, we collected soil samples and analyzed them in the lab to determine the treatment effects on soil properties. Vegetation was monitored in late spring 2016 in order to detect differences between treatments. Traditional management increased plant diversity, this effect being much more patent for the burning than for clearing treatment. Soil analyses revealed only slight differences in pH and CaCO3 content, higher for the burning treatment. The increase in plant diversity found in areas treated by traditional management was due mainly to the reduction of competition, which promoted the emergence or increase of populations of non-dominant species. The results indicated that traditional management not only offers advantages to the farmers but also promotes plant diversity and ecosystem services.

The effects of reed density, surface and management on the probability of cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) parasitism on great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) nests

While some previous investigations have been made into the effects of vegetation structure on the probability of brood parasitism in reed passerines, the effects of vegetation management remain unclear. Furthermore, we possess little information on how vegetation density influences the probability of brood parasitism in wide-surfaced reed-beds. The aim of this study was to test how vegetation density and reed management by burning influence the probability of cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) brood parasitism in great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) nests in a wide-surfaced reed-bed with pure reed stands. We found that the probability of parasitism was highest in nests constructed in low reed density, with low annual variation of reed density and low annual variation of nest height. Reed management had no effect on the probability of parasitism. Our results suggest that, in wide-surfaced reed-beds with pure reed stands, nests in sparser reed are more exposed to brood parasitism than those concealed in dense reed. Furthermore, low spatio-temporal variation in reed density and nest height benefit brood parasitism, as it provides a relatively constant number of host nests in a similar spatial distribution in the reed-bed from year to year. Vegetation structure was suggested to have an important role in adaptation of hosts’ defence against brood parasites.

Numerical study of the effect of soil–atmosphere interaction on the stability and serviceability of cut slopes in London clay

The stability of cut slopes is greatly influenced by seasonal pore-water pressure variations under the combined effect of rainfall and vegetation. However, predicting soil–atmosphere interaction is not straightforward, due to the complexity of both the boundary conditions involved and the hydromechanical behaviour of soils, which is coupled and highly nonlinear, rendering the use of numerical tools, such as finite element analysis, necessary. This paper discusses the numerical modelling of soil–atmosphere interaction and presents the analysis of a slope cut in London clay in a highly vegetated area. The whole life cycle of the slope is considered with phases of low and high water demand vegetation and vegetation clearance. The analysis results indicate that dense vegetation is associated with high factors of safety, but may induce large differential displacements, which are likely to affect the serviceability of the slope. Vegetation clearance, however, may initiate instability, highlighting the need for effective vegetation management to achieve a balance between serviceability and ultimate limit states. Although the case considered is representative of southeast England, it introduces the necessary tools for realistic numerical analysis of soil–atmosphere interaction.

Root properties of vegetation communities and their impact on the erosion resistance of river dikes

AbstractPredicted climate change and the associated sea level rise poses an increased threat of flooding due to wave overtopping events at sea and river dikes. To safeguard the land from flooding it is important to keep the soil erosion resistance at the dikes high. As plant roots can be very effective in reducing soil erosion rates by concentrated flow, the main goal of this study is to explore the variability in root system characteristics of five dike vegetation communities along the Scheldt River (Belgium) and to assess their effectiveness in controlling soil erosion rates during concentrated flow. This study is the first one to investigate systematically the erosion‐reducing potential of the root properties of representative dike vegetation communities in a temperate humid climate.Results show that the presence of Urtica dioica resulted in large differences in root length density (RLD) among dike vegetation communities. Observed RLD values in the topsoil ranged from 129 to 235 km m‐3 for dike vegetation communities without U. dioica, while smaller values ranging from 22 to 58 km m−3 were found for vegetation communities with U. dioica. The erosion‐reducing effect of the dike vegetation communities was estimated based on a global Hill curve model, linking the RLD to the soil detachment ratio (SDR; i.e. the ratio of the soil detachment rate for root‐permeated topsoils to the soil detachment rate for root‐free topsoils). Concentrated flow erosion rates are likely to be reduced to 13–16% of the erosion rates for root‐free topsoils if U. dioica is absent compared to 22–30% for vegetation communities with U. dioica. Hence, to maintain a high resistance of the soil against concentrated flow erosion it is important to avoid the overgrowth of grassland by U. dioica through an effective vegetation management. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Solar park microclimate and vegetation management effects on grassland carbon cycling

Increasing energy demands and the drive towards low carbon (C) energy sources has prompted a rapid increase in ground-mounted solar parks across the world. This represents a significant global land use change with implications for the hosting ecosystems that are poorly understood. In order to investigate the effects of a typical solar park on the microclimate and ecosystem processes, we measured soil and air microclimate, vegetation and greenhouse gas emissions for twelve months under photovoltaic (PV) arrays, in gaps between PV arrays and in control areas at a UK solar park sited on species-rich grassland. Our results show that the PV arrays caused seasonal and diurnal variation in air and soil microclimate. Specifically, during the summer we observed cooling, of up to 5.2 °C, and drying under the PV arrays compared with gap and control areas. In contrast, during the winter gap areas were up to 1.7 °C cooler compared with under the PV arrays and control areas. Further, the diurnal variation in both temperature and humidity during the summer was reduced under the PV arrays. We found microclimate and vegetation management explained differences in the above ground plant biomass and species diversity, with both lower under the PV arrays. Photosynthesis and net ecosystem exchange in spring and winter were also lower under the PV arrays, explained by microclimate, soil and vegetation metrics. These data are a starting point to develop understanding of the effects of solar parks in other climates, and provide evidence to support the optimisation of solar park design and management to maximise the delivery of ecosystem services from this growing land use.

Variability in allometric relationships for temperate woodland Eucalyptus trees

Essential to effective vegetation management and habitat conservation is an understanding of tree and stand structure. However, such data for Australian Eucalyptus woodlands come mostly from forestry research and tend to be restricted to production forest types, and merchantable stems and species. We aimed to improve understanding of allometric relationships and stand dynamics for temperate Eucalyptus from critically endangered temperate woodlands. We explored relationships among tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), crown width, crown senescence, and vegetation density. We measured 3748 naturally-occurring trees on 105 one-hectare sites in remnant vegetation in an agricultural landscape in semi-arid eastern Australia. Four species accounted for 94% of trees measured: Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (river red gum), E. melliodora A.Cunn. ex Schauer (yellow box), E. microcarpa Maiden (grey box) and E. populnea F.Muell. subsp. bimbil L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill (poplar box). Six Eucalyptus species were present in relatively low numbers. At about 15cm DBH, growth changed from being directed primarily at height gain to increasing relative crown width. Trees with DBH⩾15cm showed large and increasing variation in shape with increasing DBH, and tree dimensions varied among species. For a given DBH, yellow box were taller with relatively narrow crowns than poplar box, and river red gum and grey box intermediate to these two species. Human manipulation of the agricultural landscapes has impacted on these allometric relationships. Past attempts by people to kill trees has resulted in frequent coppicing, with up to 13 trunks. Up to 50% of trees of each species (mean 29%) had multiple stems and multi-stemmed trees had relatively broader crowns than single-stemmed trees. Similarly, decreasing vegetation density by tree removal generally resulted in shorter trees with wider canopies for any DBH. Progression through crown development and senescence was similar among species except that it occurred at different trunk sizes for different species. The variability of allometric relationships within temperate Eucalyptus species, combined with their variable growth rates, makes it difficult to accurately predict outcomes of current land management decisions in terms of vegetation structure and biological habitat attributes.

우리나라에서 휴경기간에 따른 묵논의 군락분류 및 특성

BACKGROUND: As a result of rural exodus, aging of rural population, development of high-yield rice varieties and so on, abandoned paddy fields of South Korea have generally increased. The phytosociological studies are needed to recommend the effective vegetation management methods of abandoned paddy fields. The current study performed an analysis of vegetation characteristics by classifying plant communities for abandoned paddy fields in South Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: A comparative analysis of syntaxonomy, synecology, and syndynamics was performed by using the Z.-M. method of phytosociology and vegetation survey which was obtained from an enumeration district of total 203 phytosociological releves of 5 regions in Gangwon-do, 5 regions in Gyeonggi-do, 2 regions in Chungcheong-do, 18 regions in Gyeongsang-do, and 10 regions in Jeolla-do. Alopecurus aequalis community, Juncus effusus var. decipiens community and Salix koreensis community were, respectively, identified as successional plant communities of the early stage, the middle stage, and the late stage in the vegetation of abandoned paddy field. Sere of abandoned paddy field can be classified, developmentally, into annual plant stage, perennial plant stage, shrub plant stage, and forest tree stage. Several kinds of dominant species rather than a distinct species were found in the middle stage of abandoned paddy field. CONCLUSION(S): In this study, changing pattern in vegetational communities of abandoned paddy field were understood. These results will provide important information for restoring and conserving the ecology of fallow ground.

Insect communities in soybeans of eastern South Dakota: The effects of vegetation management and pesticides on soybean aphids, bean leaf beetles, and their natural enemies

Although most pests of soybeans, Gycine max (L.), in the Northern Great Plains are managed using pesticides, farm management practices that encourage biodiversity offer promising long-term, sustainable solutions for controlling insect and weed pests profitably. The recent invasion of the Northern Great Plains by the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura; Hemiptera: Aphididae) has had potentially important implications for insect communities in soybeans of this region, although recent descriptions of this regional community are scarce. We describe how three pest management systems that vary in the intensity with which they rely on herbicides and insecticides (chemically intensive, reduced chemical, and spring cover crop treatments) affect insect pest populations, arthropod predator communities, weed assemblages, and soybean yield and profitability. Soybean aphids exceeded economic thresholds in all three years, and insecticides successfully suppressed these outbreaks in the two chemical treatments; aphids exceeded the economic injury level in the cover crop treatment in two of three study years. Bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata Forster; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations were sub-economic in all treatments; insecticides targeting soybean aphid also reduced bean leaf beetles in the first year of study when beetle populations were at their highest. Foliar-dwelling predator populations were substantially higher in the cover crop treatment than in the chemical treatments in all years of study; population declines in the latter treatments were strongly associated with insecticide applications targeting soybean aphids. Foliar predator populations did not rebound within the growing season after insecticides were applied. Soil predator populations were largely unaffected by treatment (except in 2006, when they were more abundant in the cover crop treatment than in the chemical treatments). Weed communities varied among treatments and study years, with few consistent trends except that the chemically intensive treatment had lower weed densities than the other treatments. Although input costs of the cover crop and reduced chemical treatments were lower than the chemically intensive treatment, the chemically intensive treatment was the most profitable of the three. Nevertheless, we contend that the cover crops can be managed more efficiently in order to increase the profitability and competitiveness of this treatment while gaining the long-term benefits gleaned from conserving biodiversity in our agroecosystems.

Alterations on flow variability due to converting hardwood forests to pine

Flow variability is a potential indicator of land use impacts on aquatic ecosystems and a dominating factor for lotic habitats. Vegetation management effects on the stream habitat conditions must be better understood to propose forest management activities that are compatible with general ecosystem management objectives (integrity, diversity, sustainability, etc.). In our study, we used long term flow data (1936-2004) from four gauged experimental watersheds (W1, W2, W17, W18) of Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in US to assess the impacts of pine conversion on flow characteristics by using paired watershed experimentation. In W1, all trees and shrubs were cut and burned in 1956-57 and white pine (Pinus strobus) was planted in 1957. In W17, white pine was planted in 1956. W2 and W18 have been kept untreated as reference watersheds for W1 and W17, respectively. After analyzing long-term daily flow series with flow duration curves and frequency analyzes, we found that the timing and magnitude of 7Q flows were changed significantly due to conversion but flow variability was not affected. Overall findings revealed that pine conversion has significantly influenced some flow characteristics but stream habitat conditions were not affected potentially.

Response of Breeding Songbirds to Vegetation Management in Conifer Plantations Established in Boreal Mixedwoods

We examined the response of breeding songbird communities 11 years after four vegetation management treatments were applied. Post-treatment vegetation was characterized by manually interpreting large-scale aerial photography and estimating proportional cover of eight vegetation classes. Songbird abundance was assessed by territory mapping. Using GIS layers, number of registrations and average vegetation proportions were compared among treatments. Ordination of the relative abundance of the 11 most frequent bird species suggested differences between Vision® and untreated areas. These results show that effects of vegetation management on songbirds may be more persistent than previous studies suggest and that monitoring should continue.

Effects of vegetation management by mowing on ground-dwelling arthropods

Species-rich grasslands are rare in the Netherlands and need consistent vegetation management to retain their characteristic biodiversity. Roadside verges are important refuges for grassland plants since the mowing management no longer aims at traffic safety only but also strives for botanical diversity. Although arthropods are highly abundant in roadside verges, the effect of different mowing practices on this group is largely unknown. During 4 years, we studied ground beetles, weevils, ants and ground-dwelling spiders with pitfall traps in experimental plots in roadside verges with five different mowing treatments: (i) no management, (ii) and (iii) mowing once a year with and without hay removal, (iv) and (v) mowing twice a year with and without hay removal. This was done in a plant productivity gradient; the experiment was repeated in low-, medium- and high-productive verges. In the low-productive site, the effect of management on the arthropods only existed in a higher abundance in plots mown twice per year with hay removal. In the medium- and high-productive sites, mowing twice a year with hay removal resulted not only in highest abundances but also in highest arthropod species richness. Mowing twice without hay removal and mowing once with removal showed intermediate values, while mowing once per year without removal and particularly the absence of management resulted in low diversity and low abundance. To promote ground-dwelling arthropods in medium-to-high-productive grassland verges, we recommend a management of mowing twice a year with the removal of hay. It is reasoned that some form of rotational management, aiming at leaving some vegetation refuges intact after mowing events, may further promote arthropod survival. However, caution should be taken that these refuges are not too large, as overall suitability for ground-dwelling arthropod decreases rapidly in such patches. Out of several studied vegetation characteristics, the number of flowering plant species (medium-productive verge) and total flower abundance (high-productive verge) appeared to represent suitable, and easily monitored, proxies that significantly mirror arthropod diversity.

管理放棄により樹林化した草原跡地における管理再開が草原生植物の再生に及ぼす影響

In order to collect data on the restoration of the grassland plants, we resumed vegetation management in a forest where grassland management was ceased 30 years ago.We use three sets of management techniques,“brush cutting after thinning”,“only thinning”and“control”. One 20 meter×10 meter plot was assigned to each set,and the height and diameter of plant stems in the plots were determined along with the vegetation and light factor in 2 meter square sub-plots. In brush cutting after thinning plot, grassland species appeared and their dominance increased. In the only thinning plot too, several grassland plants appeared, but the dominance of all plants decreased. On the other hand, these grassland plants did not occur in the control plot. The relative quantum flux density of photons crossed 20 % near the ground in the thinning and brush cutting plot. However in only thinning plot, this value was less than 10 %. These results showed that thinning and brush cutting were effective vegetation management techniques to ensure the appearance of and the increase in grassland plants.

Fractal features of soil particle-size distribution as affected by plant communities in the forested region of Mountain Yimeng, China

Fractal dimension analyses of PSD and soil porosity were determined for the 0–20 cm soil layer representing different plant communities and land management in the Yimeng mountainous region of mid-eastern China. The soil types in this area are typically comprised of coarse sand and gravel. The results show that, compared with the protected forest preserve areas, soil physical properties in commercial Chinese chestnut groves (CM), cropland (ZM) and mixed shrub–grass lands (SH) were more sensitive to soil degradation under their respective long-term management strategies. In general, amounts of silt and clay decreased under CM, ZM, and SH land practices, while fine sand content increased, resulting in lower values for soil total porosity and capillary porosity. For protected forest, soil physical properties were enhanced due to litter decomposition and plant root development under long-term preservation measures. Considering the different plant communities, the overall fractal dimensions of PSD ranged from 2.141 to 2.526, with the fractal dimensions of ZM, SH and CM being far lower (2.141 to 2.166) than the mean value (2.395) of the protected forest land. The relationships between fractal dimension and PSD and soil porosity were also examined. There were significant correlations found between fractal dimension and the amount of silt and clay ( R 2 = 0.83), and fine sand ( R 2 = 0.64), with increasing fractal dimension values corresponding to higher silt and clay contents and lower sand content. There also existed strong linear relationships between fractal dimension and soil porosity with R 2 values ranging from 0.74 to 0.91. Correlations of D m with capillary porosity, in association with the type of plant community, provided strong evidence that vegetation management affects small scale aggregation which influences the water-holding capacity of the soil, thus implying that D m may be considered a good measure for quantifying aggregation and the effects of vegetation management on soil quality or soil degradation. This study demonstrates that fractal dimension analysis may be used to better quantify differences in PSD and soil porosity associated with soil degradation caused by anthropogenic disturbance of plant community environments.