Spatial variation in human disturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity across an Afromontane forest

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

  • Dinkissa Beche
  • Ayco Tack
  • Sileshi Nemomissa
  • Bikila Warkineh
  • Debissa Lemessa
  • Patricia Rodrigues
  • Joern Fischer
  • Kristoffer Hylander

Context: Human disturbances can have large impacts on forest structure and biodiversity, and thereby result in forest degradation, a property difficult to detect by remote sensing. Objectives: To investigate spatial variation in anthropogenic disturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity. Methods: In 144 plots of 20 × 20 m distributed across a forest area of 750 km2 in Southwest Ethiopia, we recorded: landscape variables (e.g., distance to forest edge), different human disturbances, forest structure variables, and species composition of trees and epiphyllous bryophytes. We then first assessed if landscape variables could explain the spatial distribution of disturbances. Second, we analysed how forest structure and biodiversity were influenced by disturbances. Results: Human disturbances, such as coffee management and grazing declined with distance to forest edges, and penetrated at least a kilometer into the forest. Slope was not related to disturbance levels, but several types of disturbances were less common at higher elevations. Among human disturbance types, coffee management reduced liana cover and was associated with altered species composition of trees. The presence of large trees and basal area were not related to any of the disturbance gradients. Conclusions: Although most anthropogenic disturbances displayed clear edge effects, surprisingly the variation in the chosen forest degradation indices were only weakly related to these disturbances. We suggest that the intersection between edge effects and forest degradation is very context specific and relies much on how particular societies use the forests. For example, in this landscape coffee management seems to be a key driver.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftLandscape Ecology
Jahrgang37
Ausgabenummer2
Seiten (von - bis)493-510
Anzahl der Seiten18
ISSN0921-2973
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 01.02.2022

Bibliographische Notiz

Funding Information:
The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council (Grant No. VR2015-03600 to KH). We thank the Oromia regional state and local administrations for providing us permits to work in the forest. We also thank Raya Aba Oli, Chala Sori and Tegegn Tiki for their unreserved assistance and local farmers for their guidance during data collection .

Funding Information:
The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council (to KH).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

DOI

Zuletzt angesehen

Forschende

  1. Paul Silas Peterson

Publikationen

  1. Gathering Voices, Feeling Relations
  2. The attenuating effect of mortality salience on dishonest behavior
  3. Activity-based start-up simulations in entrepreneurship education at the German universities
  4. Tree Species Traits but Not Diversity Mitigate Stem Breakage in a Subtropical Forest following a Rare and Extreme Ice Storm
  5. Identity affirmation and social movement support
  6. Top-down social modulation of perception-action coupling
  7. Lernkarten Bibelkunde
  8. Is Export Diversification good for Productivity? First Evidence for Manufacturing Enterprises in Germany
  9. Spatial characterization of coastal marine social-ecological systems
  10. Constructing The European Space Policy
  11. Implications of financial transaction costs on the real economy
  12. Reducing aquatic micropollutants – Increasing the focus on input prevention and integrated emission management
  13. “Normality” Revisited: Fieldwork and Family
  14. Anchoring and Sleep Inertia
  15. Continental-scale ecology versus landscape-scale case studies
  16. What do we know about Antibiotics in the Environment?
  17. Größen bauen auf Längen
  18. Time sensitivity
  19. The impact of digitisation and big data analysis on the sustainable development of tourism and its environmental impact
  20. Consumer Preferences and Their Willingness to Pay for Local Products (by Means of Consumer Ethnocentrism)
  21. Metaphern und ihre Bedeutung für das mathematische Tätigsein
  22. Sustainability process assessment on transformative potentials
  23. Erfolgreich enttäuschend
  24. The global perspective of education for sustainable development
  25. Lebens-Formen
  26. Plasma arcing during contact separation of HVDC relays
  27. The Post-entry Performance of Cohorts of Export Starters in German Manufacturing Industries
  28. Special Section: Pragmatic Development and Stay Abroad
  29. The Maternal in Drag
  30. Worldwide distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants in air, including results of air monitoring by passive air sampling in five continents
  31. Berufsorientierte Schreibkompetenz mithilfe von SRSD fördern
  32. Frömmigkeit der Theologie, zur Logik der offenen Theodizeefrage
  33. Deliberative Bürgerbeteiligung in der Priorisierungsdebatte
  34. The post-normal politics and science of wind power planning
  35. The Triple Transformation
  36. Research Perspectives and Innovative Applications for Sustainable Engineering Education
  37. Two degrees and the SDGs:
  38. Liability rule failures? Evidence from german court decisions.
  39. Symbolische Räume kultureller Diversität
  40. The influence of travel company reputation on online travel decisions