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Topography and edge effects are more important than elevation as drivers of vegetation patterns in a neotropical montane forest
Author(s) -
Lippok Denis,
Beck Stephan G.,
Renison Daniel,
Hensen Isabell,
Apaza Amira E.,
Schleuning Matthias
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/jvs.12132
Subject(s) - species evenness , species richness , ecology , detrended correspondence analysis , microclimate , vegetation (pathology) , habitat , environmental science , subalpine forest , ordination , elevation (ballistics) , cloud forest , spatial heterogeneity , geography , montane ecology , biology , medicine , geometry , mathematics , pathology
Aims The high plant species diversity of tropical mountain forests is coupled with high habitat heterogeneity along gradients in elevation and topography. We quantified the effects of elevation, topography and forest edge on habitat conditions and woody plant diversity of tropical montane forest fragments. Location Tropical montane forest fragments, ‘ Y ungas’, B olivia. Methods We measured microclimate and sampled soil properties and woody vegetation at forest edges and in the forest interior on ridges and in gorges along an elevational gradient of 600 m. We analysed effects of elevation, topography and forest edge on habitat conditions (i.e. microclimate, soil properties and forest structure), species richness, evenness and composition with linear mixed effects models and detrended correspondence analysis ( DCA ). Results Changes in habitat conditions were weaker along the elevational gradient than between forest interior and forest edge and between different topographies. Species richness was not affected by any gradient, while species evenness was reduced at forest edges. All three gradients affected species composition, while effects of topography and forest edge were stronger than that of elevation. Conclusions In general, effects of the 600‐m elevational gradient were weak compared to effects of forest edge and topography. Edge effects shifted species composition towards pioneer species, while topographical heterogeneity is particularly important for generating high diversity in montane forests. These results underscore that edge effects have severe consequences in montane forest remnants and that small‐scale variation between topographical microhabitats should be considered in studies that predict monotonous upslope migrations of plant species in tropical montane forests due to global warming.