2018/08/03 by Barrios, Julie Adriana, De Aquino, Mary, Di Liberto, Joseph Francis +1
#ecology #edge effects #meadows
paper · doi:10.21973/n3fq0k
Ecological communities are thought to be homogenous throughout their discrete habitats however “edge effects” and the factors that influence them have been known to change species richness and composition on these border regions. In this study, we analyzed the effect of a possible driver of this variation-orientation-on species richness and composition while moving away from habitat edges. To do so, we measured richness and composition along transects in each of the four cardinal directions in eight forest-bordered meadows across the University of California’s Angelo Coast Range reserve. Cardinal orientation significantly explained variation in plant richness (N = 160; F = 6.76; P < 0.001), with richness being significantly lower on north-facing edges. Edge proximity and orientation together significantly explained variation in plant species richness across meadows (N = 160; F = 5.26; P < 0.001). We also found that meadow edge proximity had a strong effect on exotic plant species, with percent cover increasing from meadow edge to meadow interior (N = 160, F = 10.66, P < 0.0001). Overall, meadow centers contained a similar diversity of species, because the effects of orientation were lessened and environmental conditions were similar between the four cardinal directions. This not only re-affirms the presence of an edge effect on this community, but also highlights how factors such as orientation may influence this effect.