Creation of forest edges has a global impact on forest vertebrates

M. Pfeifer (), V. Lefebvre, C. A. Peres, C. Banks-Leite, O. R. Wearn, C. J. Marsh, S. H. M. Butchart, V. Arroyo-Rodríguez, J. Barlow, A. Cerezo, L. Cisneros, N. D’Cruze, D. Faria, A. Hadley, S. M. Harris, B. T. Klingbeil, U. Kormann, L. Lens, G. F. Medina-Rangel, J. C. Morante-Filho, P. Olivier, S. L. Peters, A. Pidgeon, D. B. Ribeiro, C. Scherber, L. Schneider-Maunoury, M. Struebig, N. Urbina-Cardona, J. I. Watling, M. R. Willig, E. M. Wood and R. M. Ewers
Additional contact information
M. Pfeifer: School of Biology, Newcastle University
V. Lefebvre: Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus
C. A. Peres: School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
C. Banks-Leite: Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus
O. R. Wearn: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park
C. J. Marsh: Natural History Museum
S. H. M. Butchart: BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building
V. Arroyo-Rodríguez: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
J. Barlow: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University
A. Cerezo: Fundación para el Ecodesarrollo y la Conservación (FUNDAECO), 25 Calle, 2-53
L. Cisneros: University of Connecticut
N. D’Cruze: The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford
D. Faria: Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Programa de Pós-graduação Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km16, Salobrinho
A. Hadley: Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University
S. M. Harris: Seabird Ecology Group, University of Liverpool
B. T. Klingbeil: Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut
U. Kormann: Forest Biodiversity Research Network, Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University
L. Lens: Ghent University
G. F. Medina-Rangel: Grupo de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Reptiles, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ciudad Universitaria
J. C. Morante-Filho: Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Programa de Pós-graduação Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km16, Salobrinho
P. Olivier: Conservation Ecology Research Unit, University of Pretoria
S. L. Peters: University of Western Ontario
A. Pidgeon: University of Wisconsin-Madison
D. B. Ribeiro: Biology and Health Sciences Centre, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul
C. Scherber: Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster
L. Schneider-Maunoury: Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
M. Struebig: Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent
N. Urbina-Cardona: Faculty of Rural and Environmental Studies, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
J. I. Watling: John Carroll University, University Heights
M. R. Willig: Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut
E. M. Wood: California State University Los Angeles
R. M. Ewers: Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus

Nature, 2017, vol. 551, issue 7679, 187-191

Abstract: Abstract Forest edges influence more than half of the world’s forests and contribute to worldwide declines in biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, predicting these declines is challenging in heterogeneous fragmented landscapes. Here we assembled a global dataset on species responses to fragmentation and developed a statistical approach for quantifying edge impacts in heterogeneous landscapes to quantify edge-determined changes in abundance of 1,673 vertebrate species. We show that the abundances of 85% of species are affected, either positively or negatively, by forest edges. Species that live in the centre of the forest (forest core), that were more likely to be listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reached peak abundances only at sites farther than 200–400 m from sharp high-contrast forest edges. Smaller-bodied amphibians, larger reptiles and medium-sized non-volant mammals experienced a larger reduction in suitable habitat than other forest-core species. Our results highlight the pervasive ability of forest edges to restructure ecological communities on a global scale.

Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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DOI: 10.1038/nature24457

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