Journal
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
Volume 132, Issue 4, Pages 510-519Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.05.012
Keywords
habitat fragmentation; remnant area; edge effects; species richness; ecological traits; Chaco Serrano Woodland
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The Chaco Serrano Woodland from central Argentina has been dramatically reduced during the past 30 years, and is currently confined to several isolates of different size. In this study, we evaluated the effects of forest size, isolation and edge formation on plant species richness. Furthermore, we tested whether plants species with particular ecological traits were differentially affected by habitat fragmentation. Habitat area showed the highest explanatory value for plant species richness in stepwise multiple regressions. The effect of area was most pronounced for rare species, suggesting that large forests are necessary to preserve species with low local or regional abundance. Differences between edge and interior of Chaco Serrano were more pronounced for native and shrub species richness. The analysis of individual species cover revealed that native and biotically pollinated plants were less abundant in woodland edges. Our results showed that forest transformation into smaller remnants has lead to an impoverishment of plant communities, with particular subsets of species defined by ecological traits (rarity, origin and pollination mode) being more susceptible. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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