Effects Of Patch Size Research Articles

Effect of patch size on establishment and productivity ofOpuntia columbiana

Effect of patch size on establishment and productivity of<i>Opuntia columbiana</i>

Testing Transferability of Deep-Learning-Based Dwelling Extraction in Refugee Camps

For effective humanitarian response in refugee camps, reliable information concerning dwelling type, extent, surrounding infrastructure, and respective population size is essential. As refugee camps are inherently dynamic in nature, continuous updating and frequent monitoring is time and resource-demanding, so that automatic information extraction strategies are very useful. In this ongoing research, we used labelled data and high-resolution Worldview imagery and first trained a Convolutional Neural Network-based U-net model architecture. We first trained and tested the model from scratch for Al Hol camp in Syria. We then tested the transferability of the model by testing its performance in an image of a refugee camp situated in Cameroon. We were using patch size 32, at the Syrian test site, a Mean Area Intersection Over Union (MIoU) of 0.78 and F-1 score of 0.96, while in the transfer site, MIoU of 0.69 and an F-1 score of 0.98 were achieved. Furthermore, the effect of patch size and the combination of samples from test and transfer sites are investigated.

Comparative Study of Vessel Detection Methods for Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography: Effects of Convolutional Neural Network Architecture and Patch Size

Comparative Study of Vessel Detection Methods for Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography: Effects of Convolutional Neural Network Architecture and Patch Size

斑块面积对城市绿地降温效应的影响研究进展

在气候变化和快速城市化的双重影响下，全球城市面临日益加剧的热岛效应。绿地能够有效改善城市热环境。城市土地资源紧缺，优化绿地布局，使有限面积的绿地发挥更大的降温效果具有重要的理论意义和实践价值。其中，如何设置绿地斑块大小则是优化绿地布局的首要考虑因素之一。从斑块和景观的尺度总结了现有绿地斑块大小对其降温效应影响的研究进展，结果表明：1）在斑块尺度，随着绿地斑块面积增加，绿地的降温效应相应增加，但增加的趋势为非线性变化，表现为温度随绿地斑块面积的增加先下降，后趋于平稳，表明可能存在降温效率（单位面积绿地降温能力）最强的斑块大小；2）在景观尺度，绿地斑块大小在空间上的配置对热环境的影响研究结果存在差异，尚无一致性定论。基于已有研究，本文指出了现有绿地斑块大小对其降温效应影响研究中的问题与不足：1）主要关注绿地斑块大小与温度的统计关系，缺乏对其具体影响过程和内在机制的深入探讨；2）更多关注地表温度，而对与人体舒适度和健康直接相关的其他热环境指标的研究较少；3）研究中缺少对城市中数量巨大，分布最广的小型绿地斑块的考量。未来的研究应加强从遮阴和蒸腾等降温过程深入解析绿地斑块大小对热环境影响的内在机理机制，从降温效率的角度，探讨是否存在最优的斑块大小，并进一步探讨绿地周围建筑环境对绿地斑块大小与其降温效应关系的影响，为优化城市绿地分布，改善城市热环境提供科学依据。;In the context of global climate change and rapid urbanization, the urban heat island effect has been aggravated in many cities around the world. Green space can effectively improve the urban thermal environment. As land resources in the city are scarce, optimizing the layout of green space and making the limited green space offer a greater cooling effect has the important theoretic significance and practical worth. How to set the green patch size is one of the first considerations for optimizing the green space pattern. In this paper, we summarized exiting research about influences of green patch area on its cooling effect from the patch and landscape scale, respectively. At the patch scale, the cooling effect of green space nonlinearly enhanced with increasing patch area. Specifically, as the green patch size increased, the temperature decreased firstly and then leveled off. The optimal patch size, which had the strongest cooling effect per unit area green space, may exist. At the landscape scale, effects of the spatial layout of the size of green patch on the urban thermal environment varied considerably across studies. In addition, this paper pointed out some problems and shortcomings of existing relevant studies:1) Most of the studies focused on the statistical relationships between green patch area and temperature, while studies about the specific influence processes and mechanisms under those relationships were scare; 2) Most of the studies focused on the land surface temperature, but other thermal environmental indicators that directly related to human thermal comfort and health risk were ignored; 3) Small green patches, the main component of urban green space, were not included in most current studies. We further highlighted a few research directions or questions that should be paid attention in the future:1) Analyzing the internal mechanism of effects of green patch area on urban thermal environment from the perspective of cooling processes (shade and transpiration); 2) Exploring how the cooling efficiency (cooling effect per unit area green space) change with the patch area, and detecting the optimal patch size; 3) Investigating influences of urban structure (building) around the green space on the relationship between green patch size and its cooling effect. To explore and/or answer these research questions can effectively further reveal specific effects of green patch size on the urban thermal environment, and thus provide important scientific bases for planning the spatial layout of urban green space, enhancing the cooling efficiency of green patches, and improving the thermal comfort of cities.

Edge effects in forest patches surrounded by native grassland are also dependent on patch size and shape

Our knowledge of biodiversity responses to fragmentation comes from human-driven fragmentation processes. However, evaluating forest patches with natural edge can produce useful models to understand how the micro-environmental gradient between forest edge and interior shapes the plant communities, regardless habitat loss. Here, we tested how forest edges and interiors differ in soil characteristics, communities’ structure and diversity metrics, and the extent to which these differences are related to forest size and shape of patches. We present data of ten tropical montane cloud forest patches surrounded by native non-forest vegetation (highland grasslands) of southeast Brazil. In each forest, we established five plots right on the edge and five randomly distributed over the forest interior. Our dataset covers a total of 5495 trees, and the main findings showed that patches with natural edges are also influenced by the edge effect, affecting the structure, species composition and soil variables. We found that with the increase in distance from the forest edge, the soils became more acid, with greater accumulation of organic matter, phosphorus, silt and sand, in contrast, the content of total exchangeable bases and clay decreased. When accounting for the effect of patch size and shape in the relationships between forest habitat and the structural community metrics, tree density and upper 95-percentile stem diameter tended to be higher in larger patches. In contrast, aboveground biomass and median stem diameter were positively related to patch shape in forest interiors. In addition, species composition showed marked differences between habitats, but rarefied species richness and Fisher’s diversity index were higher, in the interior, only in large patches. These results indicate that besides differences between forest habitats, with increasing patch size and circularity, the differences become more pronounced. We would like to highlight that in conservation and management decisions, peculiarities of each habitat must be taken into account, with techniques that assess the surrounding matrix (man-made or natural) and that consider the edge and the interior as distinct habitats.

Patch shape and size effect on performance of in-situ scarf patch repair in aircraft panel

Patch repairing technique is effective and efficient approach to enhance structural performance of aged aircraft panels. The presented work emphases on studying the patch shape and size effect on scarf composite patch repair of aluminium aircraft panel under thermal, thermo-elastic and mechanical load. In this work, patched repaired structural member has been simulated by ABAQUS software to find out the performance of patch repair in term of patch thickness and patch shape. Five different patch shapes are chosen to analysis: circular, square, hexagonal, rectangular and trapezoidal with different patch thickness 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mm. The Heat transfer and coupled temp-displacement analysis has been performed under cure temperature 394 K for in-situ patch repair model. The analysis of the critical von-Mises stress and heat flux load distribution in composite patch repair system allows us to estimate performance in composite patch repair system. The results show that patch shape and size has significant effect on magnitude of heat flux load and induced von-Mises stress. Trapezoidal shape of composite patch repair has lower value of von-Mises stress and heat flux load as compared to all four shapes of composite patches.

Strength and size of phosphorus-rich patches determine the foraging strategy of Neyraudia reynaudiana

BackgroundUnder natural conditions, soil nutrients are heterogeneously distributed, and plants have developed adaptation strategies to efficiently forage patchily distributed nutrient. Most previous studies examined either patch strength or patch size separately and focused mainly on root morphological plasticity (increased root proliferation in nutrient-rich patch), thus the effects of both patch strength and size on morphological and physiological plasticity are not well understood. In this study, we examined the foraging strategy of Neyraudia reynaudiana (Kunth) Keng ex Hithc, a pioneer grass colonizing degraded sites, with respect to patch strength and size in heterogeneously distributed phosphorus (P), and how foraging patchily distributed P affects total plant biomass production. Plants were grown in sand-culture pots divided into ½, ¼, 1/6 compartments and full size and supplied with 0 + 0/30, 0 + 7.5/30 and 7.5 + 0/30 mg P/kg dry soil as KH2PO4 or 0 + 15/15, 0 + 18.5/ 18.5, 7.5 + 15/15 mg kg − 1 in the homogenous treatment. The first amount was the P concentration in the central region, and that the second amount was the P concentration in the outer parts of the pot.ResultsAfter 3 months of growth under experimental conditions, significantly (p < 0.05) high root elongation, root surface area, root volume and average root diameter was observed in large patches with high patch strength. Roots absorbed significantly more P in P-replete than P-deficient patches. Whole plant biomass production was significantly higher in larger patches with high patch strength than small patches and homogeneous P distribution.ConclusionThe result demonstrates that root morphological and physiological plasticity are important adaptive strategies for foraging patchily distributed P and the former is largely determined by patch strength and size. The results also establish that foraging patchily distributed P resulted in increased total plant biomass production compared to homogeneous P distribution.

Colonization of novel algal habitats by juveniles of a marine tube-dwelling amphipod.

BackgroundDispersal is an important process affecting population dynamics and connectivity. For marine direct developers, both adults and juveniles may disperse. Although the distribution of juveniles can be initially constrained by their mothers’ choice, they may be able to leave the parental habitat and colonize other habitats. We investigated the effect of habitat quality, patch size and presence of conspecific adults on the colonization of novel habitats by juveniles of the tube-dwelling amphipod Cymadusa filosa associated with the macroalgal host Sargassum filipendula.MethodsWe tested the factors listed above on the colonization of juveniles by manipulating natural and artificial plants in both the field and laboratory.ResultsIn the laboratory, juveniles selected high-quality habitats (i.e., natural alga), where both food and shelter are provided, when low-quality resources (i.e., artificial alga) were also available. In contrast, habitat quality and algal patch size did not affect the colonization by juveniles in the field. Finally, the presence of conspecific adults did not affect the colonization of juveniles under laboratory condition but had a weak effect in the field experiment. Our results suggest that C. filosa juveniles can select and colonize novel habitats, and that such process can be partially affected by habitat quality, but not by patch size. Also, the presence of conspecifics may affect the colonization by juveniles. Successful colonization by this specific developmental stage under different scenarios indicates that juveniles may act as a dispersal agent in this species.

Rapid Succession of Orthopteran Assemblages Driven by Patch Size and Connectivity

Bearing in mind the current dramatic decline in biodiversity, in addition to preserving remaining natural habitat patches, performing successful habitat restorations and land-use is increasingly essential. In this study, the effect of patch size and connectivity on the early succession of orthopteran assemblages was examined in reconstructed Central European sand habitats. The first comprehensive study on this topic demonstrated that the diversity of the assemblages in mid-successional stages (4th and 5th years of research) reached the value which characterised the control areas. Grazing can preserve habitats in this successional stage. Based on the results of the study in sand habitats belonging to low-productivity dry grasslands, to maintain heterogeneous habitat structures, traditional moderate grazing is recommended. Grazing by sheep is the most beneficial for maintaining the presence of open surfaces, closed patches, and fallen foliage cover in optimal proportions for orthopterans. It was also revealed, that during habitat restorations of sand grasslands, patch size and connectivity affect the species richness of habitat specialist orthopteran species strongly.

Insect herbivory in novel Quercus ilex L. forests: the role of landscape attributes, forest composition and host traits

Insect herbivory in novel Quercus ilex L. forests is a highly context- and scale-dependent process. We show that forest composition, tree height and fine-scale spatial location, as well as tree genetic relatedness and ontogeny, can all influence herbivore activity at local to landscape scale. Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of herbivory in novel expanding forests is essential to envisage their role for biodiversity conservation. To analyse the effects of landscape attributes, forest composition, genetic relatedness, ontogeny and leaf traits on insect herbivory in novel Q. ilex forest stands. In 15 forest patches, we examined effects of patch size and connectivity, forest composition, tree height, specific leaf area (SLA) and nitrogen content on herbivory. In 3 forest patches, we assessed effects of tree genetic relatedness, ontogeny and spatial distribution. Herbivory was lower in pine-oak than in mixed-oak forests owing to the shorter tree height in the former with no effects of patch size or connectivity. Herbivory increased with SLA whereas nitrogen content had no effect. Within patches, herbivory differed among genetic clusters and was reduced in saplings growing near mature oaks and individuals near the forest edge. We illustrate the strong context and scale dependence of tree-herbivore interactions that renders predictions for dynamic systems such as novel oak forests extremely challenging. It implies, however, that the structural heterogeneity of such unmanaged forests allows their function as stepping stones for insect herbivore diversity in fragmented landscapes.

Patch size and vegetation structure drive changes to mixed-species flock diversity and composition across a gradient of fragment sizes in the Western Andes of Colombia

Abstract Forest fragmentation is a leading driver of biodiversity loss, yet its effects on positive species interactions remain poorly known. We examined the effects of fragmentation on mixed-species bird flocks in the Western Andes of Colombia. Using 500-m transect surveys (n = 14 transects), we sampled flocks in 8 fragments (range: 10–173 ha) and an unfragmented reference site within the same altitudinal band (1,900–2,200 m.a.s.l.) and matrix type (cattle pasture). We evaluated the relative contributions of 9 predictor variables, including patch size, distance from edge, and selective aspects of vegetation structure on the composition, size, species richness, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity of flocks. We found effects of both patch size and vegetation structure on flock species richness, size, and functional diversity, but no support for edge effects. Generally, flock richness and size responded differently to fragmentation than did functional and phylogenetic diversity metrics. Both flock size and richness increased with patch size, but this variable had no effect on functional and phylogenetic diversity. Flock richness and size increased in high-canopy forests with greater foliage height diversity, whereas unlogged, old-growth primary forests with large-diameter trees had lower flock richness and size, but significantly greater functional diversity. Phylogenetic diversity was not affected by patch size, edge effects, or vegetation structure. We found differences in flock composition in response to fragmentation. Richness of Furnariidae in flocks increased with increasing distance from edge and foliage height diversity, whereas that of Thraupidae and boreal migrant species increased in early successional and forest edge flocks, respectively. All flock diversity metrics differed significantly seasonally, with smaller, less diverse flocks observed in January–March than in June–August. Flocking behavior persisted in 10-ha fragments, likely because Andean flocks are “open membership” in nature, but there was extensive species turnover as forest edge and generalist species replaced forest-interior species in smaller fragments.

Effects of habitat fragment size and isolation on the density and genetics of urban red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)

Urban expansion is creating environmental stressors through land use change, habitat fragmentation, and habitat loss. These stressors, along with a host of others, are driving precipitous declines in vertebrate taxa around the world. Amphibians, often requiring a narrow range of environmental conditions, can be especially susceptible to the stressors of environmental change. Despite habitat loss and degradation, some amphibian species continue to persist in altered urban landscapes. The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is one such- species and in this study, we assess how habitat patch size affects population density and genetic diversity of salamander populations in and around an urban center in Ohio, United States. Further, we examined patterns of genetic differentiation and landscape connectivity to understand gene flow between populations and tested for historic demographic bottleneck effects. Populations were sampled from 9 urban forest patches ranging in size from less than 1 ha to approximately 250 ha. There was no apparent effect of contiguous habitat patch size on salamander density nor genetic diversity, but we did observe significant genetic differentiation between 97% of pairwise population comparisons. The differentiation observed was not a result of overland distance or effective distance due to landscape resistance. There was evidence of historic bottlenecks at every site. These results suggest that density is driven by within-patch heterogeneity and that genetic diversity is affected by drivers other than patch size or contemporary population density. Our study demonstrates that red-backed salamanders can persist in wooded, urban parks, but that genetic diversity remains susceptible to demographic changes.

Revegetation and reproduction: do restoration plantings in agricultural landscapes support breeding populations of woodland birds?

Restoration plantings are frequently occupied by native wildlife, but little is known about how planting attributes influence breeding by, and persistence of, fauna populations. We monitored breeding success of woodland birds in restoration plantings in a fragmented agricultural landscape in south-eastern Australia. We documented nest fate and daily nest survival (DSR) in plantings and remnant woodland sites. We analysed the influence on breeding success of patch attributes (size, shape, type) compared to other potentially influential predictors such as nest-site and microhabitat variables. We found that, in general, patch attributes did not play a significant role in determining breeding success for woodland birds. However, we examined a subset of species of conservation concern, and found higher DSR for these species in restoration plantings than in similarly sized woodland remnants. We also found negative effects of patch size and linearity on DSR in species of conservation concern. The primary cause of nest failure was predation (91%). We used camera trap imagery to identify the most common nest predators in our study sites: native predatory bird species, and the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Our findings are further evidence of the value of restoration plantings and small habitat patches for bird populations in fragmented agricultural landscapes. We recommend controlling for foxes to maximise the likelihood that restoration plantings and other woodland patches in Australia support breeding populations of woodland birds. More broadly, our study highlights the importance of taking a detailed, population-oriented approach to understanding factors that influence habitat suitability for fauna of conservation concern.

The effect of microhabitat patch size on settlement differs among co-occurring coral reef fishes

Over small spatial scales, coral reefs represent a mosaic of suitable settlement microhabitat patches of varying size for late-stage larval reef fishes. Few studies have specifically examined how variation in patch size influences density of recently settled coral reef fishes (recruits). Using standardized units of coral rubble settlement substrate deployed on sandy bottom, we monitored the concurrent settlement of three reef fish taxa onto differently sized patches (0.28–1.68 m2) at 5-d intervals during a lunar settlement peak. We found marked differences among taxa in how recruit density scaled with patch size. Recruit density of a damselfish and a parrotfish decreased and increased, respectively, with the increase in patch size, while that of a wrasse was similar among patch sizes. Our results highlight the importance of the interaction between taxon-specific settlement behaviour and patch size in establishing initial spatial differences in density within and among coral reef fish taxa in a heterogeneous landscape.

Ecoacoustics of small forest patches in agricultural landscapes: acoustic diversity and bird richness increase with patch size

ABSTRACT The species–area relationship is well documented across species in multiple ecosystems, and as such is widely accepted as one of ecology’s key patterns. Although acoustic diversity has generally been correlated with species richness, the response of acoustic diversity to habitat size is unknown. Thus, we tested the transferability of the species–area relationship to a broader ‘biodiversity–area relationship’, investigating if acoustic diversity increases with habitat size. Twenty-two forest patches of increasing size (0.01–4.7 ha) in an agricultural area were inventoried for structural characteristics and bird richness. Plots were acoustically monitored over three time periods. Acoustic diversity values were related to habitat size, vegetation structural diversity and bird richness using linear regression analysis. We confirmed that acoustic diversity increased with forest patch size. When tested in separate models, bird richness and forest structural parameters explained variations in acoustic diversity equally well as forest patch size. Although the relative effects of patch size, bird richness and habitat heterogeneity are difficult to disentangle, acoustic diversity can be a useful proxy to study effects of forest fragmentation as it is subjected to a similar combination of drivers as traditionally surveyed metrics of biodiversity. Key policy insights This study provides evidence that indices on acoustic diversity relate to vocalizing species diversity and forest structure, making these indices a useful tool to study biodiversity processes. This study confirms that decreasing habitat size correlates with decreasing biodiversity, for the first time including acoustic diversity as one aspect of biodiversity. This study underlines the importance of preserving forest patches in agricultural landscapes as refuges for biodiversity. Biodiversity can be enhanced by increasing forest patch size, reducing fragmentation and increasing habitat quality through enhancing structural diversity.

Effect of patch size of the exotic host plant Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) on herbivory

Abstract Calotropis procera is a xerophytic perennial milkweed shrub native to Asia and Africa, which currently is also widely distributed throughout the Brazilian Caatinga. C. procera is well defended against herbivores, especially with latex and toxic steroidal cardenolides. The goal of this study was to evaluate how patch size of this exotic host plant affect insect herbivory. Eight patches were selected containing a varied number of C. procera individuals (5, 8, 29, 31, 55, 79, 116, and 172 individuals/patch) in the Caatinga. Patches were divided into four categories according to the number of C. procera individuals: very small (5 and 8), small (29 and 31), intermediate (55 and 79), and large (116 and 172). The percentage of herbivory was greater in patch categories with more individuals. Among the herbivorous insects associated with C. procera, larvae of Danaus spp. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) were commonly observed feeding on all patches. These herbivores present specialized behaviors to circumvent the presence of latex on the host leaves. Adult Danaus spp. females probably had higher probability to find large patches of C. procera, leaving a greater abundance of eggs and, consequently, increasing the herbivory by their larvae in these patches. In contrast to immigration tendency, emigration from large patches may be lower, because there is a higher probability of finding resources (e. g. suitable C. procera leaves) inside large patches compared with small patches. We conclude that patch size of the host plant C. procera is a major factor affecting herbivory.

Effects of patch size changes on the time-lapse seismic reflections of highly attenuating reservoirs

Reservoir fluid depletion and injection inevitably induce changes in pore pressure and saturation, leading to a varying fluid patch size and hence perturbations in seismic velocities and observable time-lapse seismic attributes. The patch size, which may exhibit spatial variations, can possess a characteristic size at each scenario, and therefore another variable impacting time-lapse seismic signatures. In this study, we extend previous research efforts of time-lapse seismic interpretation by considering the fluid patch size effect on time-lapse seismic signals to investigate uncertainties in time-lapse seismic observations. We predicted and analyzed the influence of reservoir permeability and gas saturation on seismic acoustic properties, i.e., attenuation and velocity dispersion, reflectivity and phase, on the basis of a generalized White's spherical model for varied patch sizes on millimeters to centimeters. A stratified model consisting of a fluid-saturated sandstone reservoir showing viscoelastic properties sandwiched between two elastic half-spaces is employed, so as to give insights into the impacts of fluid extraction induced changes of velocity dispersion and attenuation, as well as acoustic impedance contrast, on time-lapse seismic reflections. Analysis of time-lapse seismic travel-time and reflection amplitude differences indicates that ignoring the time-dependent patch size behaviour can give rise to underestimation or overestimation of the reservoir fluid saturation and permeability change.

Islands in the forest: effects of patch size and isolation on farmland bird species richness and community composition of farmland patches in forest landscapes

Theory predicts that species diversity of isolated habitat patches depends on patch size and isolation. However, there are few previous studies of how patch size and isolation influence community composition. This study tested theory using small and isolated farmland patches in a forested matrix. I tested whether bird species diversity and community composition of isolated farmland patches depended on patch size, measures of isolation (e.g. distance from the main farmland areas; up to 15 km), and other variables such as presence of human habitation. Farmland bird species diversity and community composition (relative proportions of different ecological guilds) of 130 farmland patches within forest landscapes were recorded in Norway. Species diversity and proportion of the species that nested on the ground or low in bushes increased with patch size. Distance from the main farmland region was not related to species diversity or community composition, but species diversity increased when there were stepping stones present. Sites inhabited by humans had higher species diversity, a larger proportion of species nesting high in trees or in cavities (such as in buildings), and a larger proportion of resident species. Other variables were less important. There was also a strong relationship between the occupancy of individual species in the main farmland region and their occupancy in the forest region, suggesting that colonisation pressure also influenced species diversity of these habitat islands. I found weak evidence of isolation effects on bird species diversity and community composition of farmland patches within forest, whereas most of the variation was explained by patch size and presence of humans.

Mediation of area and edge effects in forest fragments by adjacent land use.

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation have pervasive detrimental effects on tropical forest biodiversity, but the role of the surrounding land use (i.e., matrix) in determining the severity of these impacts remains poorly understood. We surveyed bird species across an interior-edge-matrix gradient to assess the effects of matrix type on biodiversity at 49 different sites with varying levels of landscape fragmentation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest-a highly threatened biodiversity hotspot. Both area and edge effects were more pronounced in forest patches bordering pasture matrix, whereas patches bordering Eucalyptus plantation maintained compositionally similar bird communities between the edge and the interior and exhibited reduced effects of patch size. These results suggest the type of matrix in which forest fragments are situated can explain a substantial amount of the widely reported variability in biodiversity responses to forest loss and fragmentation.

Moss patch size and microhabitats influence stoichiometry of moss crusts in a temperate desert, Central Asia

Desert mosses, which are important stabilizers in desert ecosystems, are distributed patchily as biological soil crusts in arid lands. Patch size and microhabitats of moss are affected by human activities in deserts, such as grazing, oil exploration, and reclamation. Moss patches as a microecosystem, is a functional unit. It is not clear how patch size of moss influences the stoichiometry of moss and soil. We examined the effects of moss patches of different sizes on moss and soil stoichiometry, and moss growth strategies in different microhabitats. The dominant moss (Syntrichia caninervis Mitt.) of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert was selected to study carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents in moss patches. Soil inside and under the moss patches was analyzed from open areas and under the canopy of living shrubs. The C, N, and P stoichiometry of the moss and soil, and soil enzyme activities were measured. The effects of patch size on C, N, and P characteristics were microhabitat dependent. Moss N content in above-ground parts, moss C, N, and P contents in below-ground parts, and sucrase activity in soil under moss patches significantly increased with increase in patch size in open areas. Under the canopy of living shrubs, patch size had no significant influence on moss C, N, and P contents, soil nutrient contents, and soil enzyme activities. Patch size effects were stronger for moss and soil C, N, and P characteristics in open areas than those under the canopy of living shrubs. Moss N and P contents in above-ground parts were significantly higher than those in below-ground parts, whereas moss C:N and C:P ratios in above-ground parts were significantly lower than those in below-ground parts. Moss C, N, and P stoichiometry was weakly correlated with soil nutrient contents and enzyme activities. Structural equation modeling showed that the models for C, N, and P cycling differed between open areas and under the canopy of living shrubs. The effects of patch size on the multifunctionality of the moss microecosystem were regulated by microhabitats. Increase in patch size benefits moss growth more in open areas than under the canopy of living shrubs. Shrubs provide a protected environment for moss plants and drive moss growth. Above-ground parts of mosses host more functions essential for growth and photosynthesis than below-ground parts of moss patches in a temperate desert. Patch size accounted for positive effects of moss stoichiometry in open areas. Patch size may influence the ecological function of moss patches. Shrubs dominantly drive moss growth compared with patch size effects.