2025/09/16 by Angélica Aparecida Ávila, Cássio Cardoso Pereira, Crislaine Paula de Oliveira +3 · 2 voices
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #African Botany and Ecology Studies #Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
paper · doi:10.5091/plecevo.160271
openalex publication_date 2025/09/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Background and aims – Hedgerows may play a crucial ecological role in maintaining connectivity in fragmented Atlantic Forest landscapes. However, little is known about their contribution to ecological processes, particularly seed rain. Material and methods – To test this, we conducted a study in Ritápolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil, comparing a 500-meter-long hedgerow corridor with a 10.5-hectare forest fragment. We installed 20 seed collectors in each area and monitored them for a year, testing the hypothesis that hedgerow corridors have equivalent levels of litter, fruit, and seed production compared to preserved forest fragments. Key results – The results revealed that hedgerows can present greater fruit richness and higher litter dry weight than adjacent forest fragments. Furthermore, the other parameters evaluated in these hedgerows were equivalent to those observed in fragmented areas, reinforcing their importance in biodiversity conservation in rural landscapes. These findings directly support the hypothesis tested, highlighting hedgerows as essential structures for maintaining ecological processes, increasing environmental connectivity, and mitigating the impacts of forest fragmentation. Conclusion – This study contributes to the understanding of the role of ecological connectivity in hedgerows, paving the way for further research that can expand this knowledge.