Journal ArticleDOI
Conservation management of complex natural forest and plantation edge effects
TLDR
In this article, the authors compared arthropod diversity along transects that ran from within plantation blocks into grassland corridors and found a 32 m edge zone from plantation blocks to grassland boundaries.Abstract:
Timber plantation forestry is a major threat to indigenous grassland biodiversity, with ecological networks (ENs) currently being used to mitigate this threat Being composed mostly of linear corridors, ENs create more edge than would occur naturally To determine the minimum width of corridors for maximising biodiversity conservation, we need first to establish the extent of edge effects from plantation blocks into corridors We compared arthropod diversity along transects that ran from within plantation blocks into grassland corridors We also studied the edge effects of natural forest adjacent to natural grasslands within ENs Sites in grasslands of neighbouring protected areas acted as natural reference sites against which the biodiversity of the EN transects were compared Two types of exotic plantation trees and various tree age classes were studied We found a 32 m edge zone from plantation blocks into grassland corridors Few significant edge effects from plantation blocks occurred at greater distances than this, which suggested that grassland corridors with a width <64 m are essentially all edge However, and importantly, this situation was complex, as different arthropod taxonomic groups responded differently to edges of plantation blocks and natural forest patches Natural forest supported many additional species, not just within the forest, but also in associated grassland corridors This means that maintaining natural forest imbedded within the ENs will protect both indigenous grassland and indigenous forest species as well as help maintain biodiversity across this timber production landscaperead more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Terrestrial invertebrates as bioindicators: an overview of available taxonomic groups
TL;DR: Although indicator taxa are considered to be generally unreliable as broad indicators of biodiversity, they may serve a useful function in identifying ecological characteristics or monitoring the effects of habitat management.
Journal ArticleDOI
Tree diversity reduces pest damage in mature forests across Europe
Virginie Guyot,Virginie Guyot,Bastien Castagneyrol,Aude Vialatte,Marc Deconchat,Hervé Jactel +5 more
TL;DR: Overall damage to broadleaved species significantly decreased with the number of tree species in mature forests, and this pattern of associational resistance was frequently observed across tree species and countries, irrespective of their climate.
Journal ArticleDOI
Edge responses are different in edges under natural versus anthropogenic influence: a meta-analysis using ground beetles.
TL;DR: Testing the “history‐based edge effect” hypothesis, published information on a common insect group, ground beetles, in forest edges showed that the diversity‐enhancing properties of edges significantly differed according to their history.
Journal ArticleDOI
Potential Negative Ecological Effects of Corridors
Nick M. Haddad,Lars A. Brudvig,Ellen I. Damschen,Daniel M. Evans,Brenda L. Johnson,Douglas J. Levey,John L. Orrock,Julian Resasco,Lauren L. Sullivan,Joshua J. Tewksbury,Stephanie A. Wagner,Aimee J. Weldon +11 more
TL;DR: No overarching support is found for concerns that construction and maintenance of habitat corridors may result in unintended negative consequences of predators and prey population size and persistence.
References
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A new method for non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance
TL;DR: In this article, a non-parametric method for multivariate analysis of variance, based on sums of squared distances, is proposed. But it is not suitable for most ecological multivariate data sets.
Journal ArticleDOI
Generalized linear mixed models: a practical guide for ecology and evolution
Benjamin M. Bolker,Mollie Elizabeth Brooks,Connie J. Clark,Shane W. Geange,John R. Poulsen,M. Henry H. Stevens,Jada-Simone S. White +6 more
TL;DR: The use (and misuse) of GLMMs in ecology and evolution are reviewed, estimation and inference are discussed, and 'best-practice' data analysis procedures for scientists facing this challenge are summarized.
Journal ArticleDOI
A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems
TL;DR: A protocol for data exploration is provided; current tools to detect outliers, heterogeneity of variance, collinearity, dependence of observations, problems with interactions, double zeros in multivariate analysis, zero inflation in generalized linear modelling, and the correct type of relationships between dependent and independent variables are discussed; and advice on how to address these problems when they arise is provided.
Journal ArticleDOI
Quantifying biodiversity: procedures and pitfalls in the measurement and comparison of species richness
TL;DR: A series of common pitfalls in quantifying and comparing taxon richness are surveyed, including category‐subcategory ratios (species-to-genus and species-toindividual ratios) and rarefaction methods, which allow for meaningful standardization and comparison of datasets.
Book
The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
Ladislav Mucina,M.C. Rutherford +1 more
TL;DR: The logo of the South African National Biodiversity Institute is based on the striking inflorescence of Strelitzia reginae, a native of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal that has become a garden favourite worldwide as mentioned in this paper.