Forest Edge Research Articles

Long-term tree growth-climate relationships of Fagus orientalis Lipsky at high-elevation forest edges in the Alborz Mountains, northern Iran

Long-term tree growth-climate relationships of Fagus orientalis Lipsky at high-elevation forest edges in the Alborz Mountains, northern Iran

Negative effects of forest edges and canopy opening on moth communities

Negative effects of forest edges and canopy opening on moth communities

Reduced rodent-mediated seed dispersal at forest edge hinders regeneration

Reduced rodent-mediated seed dispersal at forest edge hinders regeneration

Biodiversity and Phytochemical Characterization of Adonis volgensis Populations from Central and Northern Kazakhstan: Insights into Bioactivity and Toxicity

This study examines the phytocenotic, phenotypic, phytochemical, antioxidant, and toxic effects of four geographically distinct populations of the traditionally used plant species Adonis volgensis Steven ex DC. from Central and Northern Kazakhstan. These populations, found in diverse habitats such as steppe-like forest edges and moist plains, coexist with species like Achillea nobilis L. and Artemisia absinthium L. Significant variations were observed in plant community composition and environmental stressors, including grazing and habitat degradation. Morphological analysis revealed that Population 2 exhibited greater vigor, while Population 3 was more constrained by local conditions, highlighting adaptive strategies influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. FTIR analysis of A. volgensis extracts revealed distinct solvent-specific profiles of bioactive compounds. Ethanol (EtOH) and ethyl acetate extracts were rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds, whereas the chloroform (CHCl3) extract was less effective in extracting phenolics, displaying weaker O–H bands. Phytochemical analysis showed notable variations in total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The highest TPC (89.351 ± 4.45 mg GAE/g d.w.) was found in the ethyl acetate extract from the Akmola region, while the highest TFC (33.811 ± 0.170 mg QE/g d.w.) was observed in the CHCl3 extract from Kostanay region. Toxicity assessment using the Artemia salina lethality assay revealed significant mortality rates (88–96%) in CHCl3 extracts of aerial parts, demonstrating a dose-dependent effect. These findings highlight the antioxidant and potential toxic properties of A. volgensis, emphasizing the importance of solvent selection in bioactive compound extraction for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Особенности формирования лесной подстилки в условиях старовозрастной лесной полосы каменно-степного опытного лесничества

The integral indicator of long-term effects of forest-forming species on soil is the stock of forest litter. In protective forest shelterbelts, the reserves of litter are estimated at 30 658.54 thousand tons, including in the forest-steppe natural zone – 11 306.76 thousand tons. The aim of this work - to characterize the features of forming forest litter in old-age forest shelterbelt. The object of study is the main forest protection belt № 43. Author of the planting of Morozov G.F., year of planting -1899. The forest belt is a mixed plantation, with the first storey of which takes up the Quercus robur L., and Acer platanoides L. of the leftmost generation and the Ulmus pumila L. form predominantly the second storey. The forest litter of the studied biozone of the forest belt is a full-profile one and consists of three subhorizons. In the forest edge zones, the construction of the plant litter is simplified and includes a humid subsounder only in a fragmentary way. The average capacity of forest litter in the protective forest belt was 6±0.5 cm, in the central part this value can reach 11 cm, with a significant variability (V = 15-41%). The litter of the forest belt is a significant amount of ash. The ash content was 21.35%. The distribution of total carbon and nitrogen is characterized by a clear peak in the forest litter, with further decline in the top mineral deposits and decrease in depth. The C/N ratio is 21, indicating a slow-decomposing forest litter. Total carbon reserves under the forest logging industry are 165 t/ha in 0-30 cm and 272 t/ha in 0-60 cm. The litter contains about 6% of total carbon stocks in a 0-60 cm layer. The data obtained by the authors can be used in biogeochemical monitoring of carbon cycle in anthropogenic ecosystems of Voronezh region.

Distribution of Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora (Iridaceae) Outside of Parks and Graveyards in NE Anatolia (Türkiye)

Using plants as ornamentals is one of the most important ways of introduction to the new ecosystems for alien species. Crorocosmia x crocosmiiflora seems to be a good example of this situation in Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye where it has been planted in many parks and graveyards as an ornamental plant. This hybrid taxon was observed in 37 different locations, outside of parks and graveyards in Artvin (5 records), Rize (17 records), Trabzon (8 records) and Giresun (7 records) cities, mainly on roadsides, fields, thickets, forest margins and waste areas during the field studies on Bur Cucumber. Present observations revealed that Montbretia clearly escaped from cultivation area and continue to increase its distribution range and population density/number in the North East Anatolia. Like other naturalized alien species in Türkiye, Montbretia is rapidly naturalizing in the Eastern Black Sea Region, which is the most important naturalization center of exotic plants in Türkiye, so it will become a part of the wild flora of the this region in the near future.

Unravelling the 3D thermal environment differences between forest center and edge: A case study on 22 urban forests in Hefei city, China

Unravelling the 3D thermal environment differences between forest center and edge: A case study on 22 urban forests in Hefei city, China

Upscaling UAV and Lidar-derived forest gap area and edge length extractions using radar and optical sentinel images

ABSTRACT UAV and LiDAR data are valuable for mapping forest gaps in small areas but face cost and accessibility challenges for larger regions. This study explored using UAV and LiDAR data to create reference information on forest gaps and edge lengths for upscaling (that is providing information on forest across wider spatial extents) with satellite data. We examined forest gap mapping across four global sites: Daland Forest Park (Iran), Hardtwald Forest (Germany), Petawawa Research Forest (Canada), and Luxembourg Forest (Luxembourg). High-quality UAV and ALS LiDAR data were used to extract and map forest gaps by creating Canopy Height Models (CHM) and applying height thresholds. SAR Sentinel-1 and optical Sentinel-2 images were then employed to upscale the results using the Random Forest (RF) regression model. Gap area and edge length were calculated within grid cells using varied grid sizes to determine the optimal spatial grain for upscaling. The study also evaluated the impact of sampling strategies and feature selection on model performance. Results showed that grids with dimensions of 20 × 20 meters showed the best results for estimating gap areas. The UAV- and LiDAR-derived gap area could be upscaled with satellite data with R2 values of 0.587, 0.711, 0.843, and 0.835 for the DFP, HF, PRF, and LF regions, respectively (all RMSE (scaled between 0 and 1) were smaller than 0.108). For edge length we obtained good model performances as well with R2 of 0.840, 0.690, 0.712, and 0.612, respectively for DFP, HF, PRF, and LF regions (all RMSE were smaller than 0.137). Feature selection and balancing dependent samples improved the upscaling results. The study demonstrates the potential of using Sentinel data to upscale canopy gap information from UAV and LiDAR data in areas with limited high-quality data, providing valuable insights for forest managers and ecologists in temperate forests.

Mineral Composition of Chelidonium majus L. and Soils in Urban Areas

Chelidonium majus L. is a species with a wide medicinal use, commonly found in anthropogenically degraded habitats, forest edges, and urban parks. This study aimed to determine the chemical composition of the leaves, stems, and roots of Ch. majus and the soil in its rhizosphere in terms of the content of the main elements (Fe, Ca, P, Mg, Al, Na, K, S), trace elements and rare earth minerals (Ti, Mo, Ag, U, Au, Th, Sb, Bi, V, La, B, W, Sc, Tl, Se, Te, Ga, Cs, Ge, Hf, Nb, Rb, Sn, Ta, Zr, Y, Ce, In, Be, and Li), and their comparison in the parts analyzed. The study was conducted in five urban parks in southern Poland in a historically industrialized area. The results showed that Ca has the highest content among the macroelements. Its leaf content ranges from 24,700 to 40,700 mg·kg−1, while in soil, it ranges from 6500 to 15,000 mg·kg−1. In leaves, low values of Al (100–500 mg·kg−1) and Na (100 mg·kg−1) were found in comparison to the other elements tested, while high values of Al (5100–9800 mg·kg−1) were found in soils. Among the macroelements in the Ch. majus stems, K showed the highest concentration (>100,000 mg·kg−1), while the Ca content was 3–4 times lower in the stems than in the leaves. Rhizomes of Ch. majus accumulate the most K and Ca, in the range of 22,800–29,900 mg·kg−1 and 5400–8900 mg·kg−1, respectively. Fe and Al in all locations have higher values in the soil than in the tissues. In turn, the content of Ca, P, Mg, K, and S is higher in plants than in the soil. Determining the elemental content of medicinal plants is important information, as the plant draws these elements from the soil, and, at higher levels of toxicity, it may indicate that the plant should not be taken from this habitat for medicinal purposes.

Many problems for a solo mother: maternal care efficiency of the ghost spider of new genus Eldar (Araneae: Anyphaenidae, Anyphaeninae) against new species Pseudogaurax Malloch (Diptera: Chloropidae).

Parental care in nature can present itself in different forms and vary in intensities and strategies, being maternal care one of the widely observed patterns in animals. In spiders, parental investment is carried out mainly by females. Despite this, newly hatched eggs can still be targets of a series of natural enemies. In a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, females of the spider Eldar galadrielae sp. nov., family Anyphaenidae, build nests at the forest's edge by folding plant leaves. However, information about the plants chosen for nest, the importance of maternal care by females in offspring survival, and predators are completely unknown. In this study, we (1) presented new information about the nest built by females of Eldar galadrielae sp. nov.; (2) compared the predation rate on eggs of the spider Eldar galadrielae in nests with and without the presence of the female; (3) provided morphological descriptions and distribution maps to the genus Eldar gen. nov. as well as presenting; and (4) the described Pseudogaurax vasconcellosi sp. nov. as the predator of the spider eggs. This is the first report on an interaction between Pseudogaurax flies and Anyphaenidae spiders. Our results support predation rates higher in female-less Eldar galadrielae sp. nov. nests. Although egg consumption was 100% in nests attacked by flies, overall nest predation rate was low, as flies were only recorded in three of the 12 nests that maintained female care, indicating that active protection of egg sacs by females can increase the offspring's chances of survival.

Flight phenology and influence of region and habitat on the abundance of Xylosandrus germanus and Anisandrus maiche (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in New York.

The non-native wood-boring and symbiotic fungus-culturing Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford) was first reported in New York apple orchards in 2013. Trapping surveys have been conducted annually since to assist growers in timely applications of preventative control measures. In 2021, a similar-looking introduced species, Anisandrus maiche (Kurentsov), was identified in traps in west central New York. Anisandrus maiche was first recorded in 2005 in Pennsylvania but its history in New York was unclear due to potential misidentification. We collected and identified ambrosia beetles using ethanol-baited bottle traps in 2022 and 2023 in New York at 2 commercial apple orchards near Lake Ontario and 2 cider apple orchards in the lower Finger Lakes district. Traps were placed in a forest interior, the forest edge, and the orchard edge at each site. Xylosandrus germanus was trapped from mid-April into early October; it was abundant in the Lake Ontario region but less so in the Finger Lakes. In contrast, counts of A. maiche were very high in the Finger Lakes but extremely low near Lake Ontario. It was trapped from late-May to mid-September. Most other bark and ambrosia beetle species were uncommon. Captures of X. germanus and A. maiche were generally highest in the forest interior and declined toward the orchard edge, but each species was usually present in traps across habitats at the same time. Thus, the practice of trapping at forest edges should continue. Both species can potentially infest stressed trees, including in orchards, throughout the growing season.

Dissimilarity, nestedness, and turnover patterns in vegetation at the edge and in the core of lowland forest habitats

Human-induced fragmentation has serious consequences on forest species composition. Reduced patch size, increased isolation, and raising human impact along forest patch edges trigger long-term changes in the composition of remaining fragments. Effective management requires understanding how fragmentation influences vegetation composition in different forest habitats. We assessed species composition dissimilarity between plots 10 m from the forest edge and plots in the middle of forest patches in 49 deciduous forest habitats (turkey oak, oak-hornbeam, hardwood floodplain, and alder) in Slovakia. Our study examined the influence of edge on spatial characteristics, life history components of vegetation (alien, forest, red list, and apophytes, i.e. native plant species mostly occurring in secondary habitats, usually man-made), and climatic conditions. This study highlights that spatial community dissimilarity, species turnover, and nestedness vary significantly between forest core and edge areas across different habitat types. Forest habitats react uniquely to fragmentation and are influenced by habitat type, forest edge length within a 1 km buffer, and mean annual temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to suggest appropriate forest management to minimize edges’ length. We recommend maintaining a low perimeter-to-area ratio of forest patches. This can be achieved by managing edges to be straight, avoiding complex shapes, and merging forest islands through afforestation, considering the spatial configuration of patches.

Degradation in edge forests caused by forest fragmentation

Deforestation turns intact forests into fragments and creates edge forests. These edge forests experience degradation due to edge effects and may become vulnerable to climate extremes such as drought and fire. Estimating carbon dynamics in fragmented forests requires accurately mapping these edge forests, along with incorporating degradation processes into ecological models. Understanding the evolution of fragmented forests is crucial for designing effective forest management strategies to mitigate potential risks from climate extremes.

Spatial responses of black vultures to resource pulses during white‐tailed deer hunting seasons

AbstractPulsed resources can dramatically influence spatial ecology of wildlife. Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) movements depend on habitat structure and foraging opportunities, but their responses to pulsed resources are poorly understood. In contrast, changes to home ranges during large‐game hunting seasons are well documented in mammalian predators. Thus, we hypothesized that increased access to carrion would decrease black vulture space use. To test for changes in space use, we quantified home ranges using data from 12 GPS‐tagged black vultures during nonhunting, archery‐only, and firearms study periods in Indiana and Kentucky, USA. We compared estimated home range size, home range overlap, density of forest edge, and density of roads within each home range. Home range sizes decreased 52.9% from the nonhunting to archery‐only period (t35 = 2.77, P = 0.024), then remained stable (increased 9.98%, t35 = −0.25, P = 0.967) throughout the firearms period. Home range overlaps decreased with greater resource pulse intensities. Estimated forest edge and road densities within home ranges did not change across study periods. Black vultures in our study area changed space use in response to pulsed resources associated with deer hunting. Thus, vultures may shift space use in response to other resource pulses, such as afterbirth and stillbirths from livestock. Pulsed resource locations can serve as targeted survey sites for estimating scavenger abundance and distribution. Integrating resource pulse dynamics into wildlife management strategies can improve efforts to monitor disease risks at aggregation sites and address ecological challenges arising from human activities.

Edge Influence on Avian Assemblages in an Isolated Tropical Coastal Forest Reserve, Tanzania

ABSTRACTAnthropogenic pressure on isolated protected areas without buffer zones is more intense at boundaries and results in an increase in edge effects. These edge effects influence the distribution and composition of various organisms. In this study, we investigated changes in bird community composition and habitat variables along an edge‐to‐interior gradient in an isolated coastal nature forest reserve near Dar es Salaam. Birds and habitat variables were recorded at 147 sampling points across 49 systematically placed parallel transects in three habitat treatments (edge, near‐edge and interior) to determine the response of the avian community to edge effects. In total, we detected 3249 individuals representing 136 species belonging to 46 bird families, with notable variation along the edge–interior gradient. Non‐forest species and forest visitors dominated the bird community, accounting for 47% and 24% of detections, respectively. Although there was a variation in avian community along the gradient, the 200 and 400 m communities were not detectably different. The edge had less ground cover compared to areas beyond 200 m from the forest edge, but no edge–interior gradient changes were observed for vertical habitat structure. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained around 63.3% of the total variance across two axes, and the PERMANOVA results indicated a statistically significant difference among the habitats (F = 2.8386, p = 0.022, R2 = 0.03793) but the low R2 implied that the effect size was small. Although forest bird species were positively associated with vertical habitat structure, low canopy height throughout the study area and the penetration of non‐forest bird species into interior habitats served as an indicator of past anthropogenic disturbances. Thus, conservation efforts should be strengthened to allow vegetation recovery, particularly given the reserve's importance for forest species, including those endemic to the coastal forest belt of Eastern Africa.

The effect of forest edges on soil nematode community structures between broadleaf secondary forest and coniferous plantation

The effect of forest edges on soil nematode community structures between broadleaf secondary forest and coniferous plantation

The effects of breeding status on common raven movement, home range, and habitat selection

AbstractAnthropogenic infrastructure has contributed to increasing common raven (Corvus corax) abundance across the Great Basin region of the United States, particularly in sagebrush ecosystems, where high raven densities are correlated with reduced sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest survival. Our understanding of how raven reproductive behavior affects sage‐grouse nest predation is limited, especially considering their overlapping breeding seasons. Understanding differences in space use and resource selection between breeding and non‐breeding ravens could help identify high‐use areas and corresponding predation risk for sage‐grouse nests. We analyzed space use and resource selection of breeding (n = 13) and non‐breeding (n = 32) global positioning system (GPS)‐marked ravens in Nevada, USA (2017–2022) during the breeding season (1 March–31 June). We compared home‐range size, core area size, step lengths, and resource selection within a Bayesian framework with inference made by comparing Bayesian credible intervals (CRI). We generated home range and core area estimates using autocorrelated kernel density methods. We did not find a difference in home range size between breeding (469.33 km2, 95% CRI = 228.79–709.45 km2) and non‐breeding (525.26 km2, 95% CRI = 410.71–654.10 km2) ravens. However, breeding ravens had smaller core areas (10.77 km2, 95% CRI = 3.16–35.78 km2) and shorter step lengths (1,160.33 m/hr, 95% CRI = 1,087.78–1,277.17 m/hr) than non‐breeding ravens (core area = 279.50 km2, 95% CRI = 206.77–363.72 km2; step length = 1,953.74 m/hr, 95% CRI = 1,898.42–2,009.56 m/hr). Ravens in both breeding classes selected high normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and low annual grass and shrub cover, but non‐breeding ravens showed stronger selection for low annual grass and shrub cover areas. We found strong differences in selection between breeding classes for 6 of our 9 covariates: distance to road, solar radiation, distance to natural water, distance to forest edge, percent annual grass cover, and percent shrub cover. Non‐breeding ravens concentrated activity near forest edges, natural water sources, and anthropogenic features, whereas breeding ravens focused activity close to their nests. Our findings suggest that raven management could be more effective if it targeted areas with high NDVI and low annual grass and shrub cover, especially in anthropogenically modified landscapes and near forest edges, and prevented raven nest establishment near prey populations of concern.

Monetizing Cultural Ecosystem Services in Gyeonggi-do: Recreation and Welfare Benefits

Forest edges, which serve as transition zones between forests and adjacent land cover types, are essential for providing wildlife habitats and delivering a range of ecosystem services, including cultural benefits such as recreation and welfare for people. This study evaluates the economic value of these cultural ecosystem services (CESs) in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Despite increasing development pressures driven by urban expansion, the social and ecological significance of forest edges remains underexplored. By applying travel cost and medical expense substitution methods, this study estimates the economic value of cultural ecosystem services, specifically forest recreation, at approximately KRW 65 billion, and the forest healing function at around KRW 896.5 billion across Gyeonggi-do. These results highlight the need for balanced planning and development regulations to safeguard forest edges and sustain their contributions to public health and well-being. By revealing the hidden social value of these cultural ecosystem services, this study aims to guide policies that promote sustainable land use and improve the quality of life for residents in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Exploring the transformation of chemical components and the discovery of anti-tumor active components in the fruit of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum.

The fruit of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (FSH) is derived from Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Ying, a plant belonging to the family Berberidaceae of the order Ranunculaceae. It is mainly distributed in the Himalayan alpine region, and born in the understory of forests, and wetlands at the edge of forests, thickets or grasses. FSH grows at an altitude of 2,200-4,300 meters above sea level. Its main pharmacological activities include anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, analgesia, heat clearing and detoxification. In the current experiment, ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was adopted for investigating the chemical components contained in FSH, their transformation patterns in vivo and the potential anti-tumor components, so as to provide an experimental basis for the utilization and development of the resources of FSH. The chemical components of FSH and their transformation patterns in vivo were investigated by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and the potential anti-tumor active components were predicted from the in vivo transformed components of FSH by using a network pharmacology approach. Totally 85 chemical components were identified in FSH, among which, 61 were flavonoids and 24 were lignans. The above components were transformed in vivo, including 36 prototype components and 13 transformed products. As revealed by the results of network pharmacology on the prediction of anti-tumor components of FSH, 17 compounds such as Kaempferol, Uralenol, and 8-Prenylquercetin in FSH were used as the potential anti-tumor components. In this study, the chemical composition, in vivo transformed components of FSH and their metabolites are investigated, and the in vivo transformed components are predicted to have potential anti-tumor pharmacological activities. This study provides the experimental bases for the utilization and development of the resources of FSH.

Diversity and Baits Preference of Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Collected Using Van Someren-Rydon Traps in the Colombian Andean-Amazon Piedmont During Two Rainy Seasons

Thirty percent of the flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) diversity is concentrated in the Neotropics, with few studies in the Amazonian rainforests. We evaluated diversity, phenology and bait preference of syrphids in three lowland habitats (FE = Forest Edge, DSF = Dense Secondary Forest and AFS = Agroforestry System) in La Avispa Nature and Ecotourism Reserve in Caquetá, Colombia, during two rainy seasons (high rainfall intensity, HIR and low rainfall intensity, LIR). Adults were collected using Van Someren-Rydon traps (VSRTs) baited with fermented fruit, decomposed shrimp or decomposed fish. We estimated alpha and beta diversity components within and between habitats. Phenology was compared between rainy seasons. A total of 1,379 syrphids specimens were collected, belonging to 59 species (13 genera). DSF had the highest abundance and richness (n = 812; 43 species). Syrphid abundance was 8.9 times higher (n = 1.240) during HIR, while richness was 1.8 times higher (68 species) than LIR. Copestylum was the most abundant and diverse genus (n = 1,225; 88.8% of all specimens collected). The VSRTs showed high sampling completeness (≥ 90%), suggesting that this methodology is useful and effective for rapid Syrphids inventories. Species replacement was the dominant component of beta diversity, indicating that each habitat contributes with unique species, providing functions for sustainability and ecosystem balance, where connectivity is essential to ensure the provision of ecosystem services in undergoing ecological restoration areas, such as the tropical rainforest studied here.