TY - CHAP

T1 - Edge Effects

AU - Lindenmayer, David

AU - Fischer, Jörn

N1 - Chapter 14

PY - 2008/4/15

Y1 - 2008/4/15

N2 - Edges can be a prominent part of landscapes that are subjectto human alteration. They can have profound impacts andmay be classified in various ways, including (among others):biotic/abiotic; soft/hard; and natural/human-derived. Bioticedge effects are characterized by marked variations in responsebetween species, between vegetation types and between regions.It remains unclear how it will be possible accurately to predictwhich ecosystems, vegetation communities and individual vegetation species will be most susceptible to edge effects. Recentconceptual models offer promise but await further detailedtesting. In the absence of a better understanding of edgeeffects, and of well-tested models, attempts to mitigate edgeeffects might be best tackled through traditional approachessuch as buffers, the management of spatial patterns of vegetation cover (to limit the length of human-created boundaries)and targeted management of the matrix surrounding vegetation patches that are potentially susceptible to edge effects(e.g. to limit levels of structural and physical contrast betweenthem).

AB - Edges can be a prominent part of landscapes that are subjectto human alteration. They can have profound impacts andmay be classified in various ways, including (among others):biotic/abiotic; soft/hard; and natural/human-derived. Bioticedge effects are characterized by marked variations in responsebetween species, between vegetation types and between regions.It remains unclear how it will be possible accurately to predictwhich ecosystems, vegetation communities and individual vegetation species will be most susceptible to edge effects. Recentconceptual models offer promise but await further detailedtesting. In the absence of a better understanding of edgeeffects, and of well-tested models, attempts to mitigate edgeeffects might be best tackled through traditional approachessuch as buffers, the management of spatial patterns of vegetation cover (to limit the length of human-created boundaries)and targeted management of the matrix surrounding vegetation patches that are potentially susceptible to edge effects(e.g. to limit levels of structural and physical contrast betweenthem).

KW - Biology

KW - landscape design

KW - human activities

KW - anthropogenic activities

KW - ecological processes

KW - land uses

KW - Environmental planning

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84889441397&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/9780470692400.ch15

DO - 10.1002/9780470692400.ch15

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-1-405-15914-2

SP - 165

EP - 178

BT - Managing and Designing Landscapes for Conservation

A2 - Lindenmayer, David

A2 - Hobbs, Richard

PB - Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

CY - Oxford

ER -