RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Road edge effects on litter invertebrate communities of subtropical forests
A1 Arévalo, José Ramón
A1 Arroyo, Natalia L.
A1 Delgado, Juan Domingo
A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María
K1 arthropods
K1 non-arthropod invertebrates
K1 laurisilva
K1 Pinus canariensis
K1 rarefaction
AB We assessed road edge effects on leaf-litter macroinvertebrates in laurel and pineforests in Tenerife (Canary Islands), studying composition, abundance, richnessand diversity, and the role of environmental gradients. We sorted species to thefinest taxonomic resolution possible and used a morphospecies approach whennecessary. In all, 15,824 invertebrates were identified from 388 litter samples (from>500 species, five major phyla and 31 orders). Alien invasive species of Oligochaeta,Pulmonata, Isopoda, Diplopoda and Hymenoptera were frequent in both forests.Richness, diversity and rarefaction pointed to a disturbance threshold within thefirst 10 m off the road, and edge effects were steeper in laurel forest than in pineforest. Overabundant aliens were partially responsible for highly disturbed litterassemblages on this edge zone in both forests. Proximity to road edge caused gradientsof disturbance of forest structure. Litter moisture, rock and litter cover inlaurel forest, and grass and canopy cover in pine forest were the best predictorsof community variation. Results seemed to give some empirical support to theintermediate disturbance hypothesis. This altered road edge zone may accumulateregionally causing net reductions of ecosystem area and quality, impacting on itsintegrity and biodiversity.
PB Taylor & Francis
YR 2013
FD 2013
LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17777
UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17777
LA en
DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
RD 19-abr-2024