Vegetation dynamics of the forest edge: trends in space and successional time

摘要: Forest herbs, shrubs, and tree seedlings were censused at five distances from human-generated edges 14 sites in south-eastern Pennsylvania northern Delaware, USA. varied orientation the degree of canopy closure, allowing comparisons vegetation by aspect successional stage. Soil depth pH measured sampling points a subset sites; microclimate data available parallel study. Edge-related pattern was observed overall species composition, distributions 15 individual species. At recently created forest edges, abundances correlated with steep climatic gradients. Although most edge-orientated clustered ≤ 5 m edge, some consistently reached peak densities up to 40 m, greatest distance surveyed (...)