Consecuencias del efecto de borde sobre el crecimiento y herbivoría de especies forestales en el bosque tropical amazónico

Abstract

Abstract: Edge formation as a consequence of deforestation and fragmentation is one of the factors that modify the structure of communities within forest fragments. The present study evaluated the edge effect on the development of seedlings of two species of montane tropical forest trees; Handroanthus chrysanthus and Psychotria sp. During five months we evaluated physical damage, herbivory and growth rate of seedlings planted along a 270 m transect from the edge to the interior of the forest. The results suggest that the development of the seedlings varies with the distance to the edge, but the responses were dependent on the species. While the seedlings of Psychoria sp. can develop under different environmental conditions along the edge, H. chrysanthus seedlings can be favored in areas with a slight canopy opening, although their development is affected in open areas due to physical damage to the leaves. In addition, the compression of the edge effect on the plant community of montane forests requires considering different adaptive characteristics of the species.