OOS 16 - Recent advances in studying vegetation at forest edges

Organizer(s)

• KH

  Karen Harper

  Saint Mary's University, Canada

Co-Organizer(s)

• LM

  Luca Morreale

  Boston University, United States

Moderator(s)

• LM

  Luca Morreale

  Boston University, United States

Deforestation is widely recognized as a critical impact of ongoing anthropogenic land use change. One result of deforestation that is increasingly gaining attention is the proliferation of forest edges across the globe. Forest edges experience altered microclimate and biogeochemical inputs and, consequently, exhibit distinct vegetation structure and composition from the forest interior. Edges are also highly variable, ranging from naturally-existing ecotones to urban forests surrounded by skyscrapers to woody encroachment in abandoned fields. Despite their global presence, edges remain relatively understudied relative to the interior of forest ecosystems. With over 70% of the world’s forests < 1 km from an edge, understanding edge ecosystems is imperative for predicting how forests will respond to ongoing global change. To help meet this pressing need, the research presented in this session addresses recent advances in our understanding of vegetation dynamics in forest edges. Presenters will report their findings on a variety of topics from studies that span ecosystems around the world including temperate forests in eastern North America and Europe, and tropical forests and savannas in Brazil and Iran. All talks in this session either focus on an under-represented region in the study of vegetation at edges or a relatively novel topic. Presentations will be framed to focus on how the research informs our understanding of edge ecosystems in a changing world. The ultimate goal of this session is to bring together researchers from multiple career stages and diverse backgrounds to create collaborations, look for commonalities in edge dynamics across ecosystems, and to better understand the role of edges in conservation. We hope that the conversations and ideas generated from this session will ensure that ‘a change is gonna come’ in edge research by encouraging future studies to fill in gaps in geography and topics in studying vegetation at edges.

Presentations:

• 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM EDT

  Edge influence in forested ecosystems in an underrepresented region: Iran
  

  Presenting Author: Karen Harper – Saint Mary's University

  Co-author: Javad Eshaghi Rad – Urmia University

  Co-author: Gelareh Valadi – Urmia University

  Co-author: Rohollah Rostami – Urmia University

  Co-author: Alireza Naghinezhad – Urmia University

  Co-author: Yahya Koch – University of Tarbiat

  Co-author: Yahia Khodakarami – Agricultural research, Education and extension organization, Iran
• 1:45 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

  Advances in studies of edge influence in the Brazilian biodiversity hotspots
  

  Presenting Author: Pavel Dodonov – Federal University of Bahia

  Co-Author: Karen Harper – Saint Mary's University
• 2:00 PM – 2:15 PM EDT

  Plant species diversity, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity at natural edges in eastern Europe
  

  Presenting Author: László Erdős – Hungarian Academy of Sciences

  Co-author: Khanh V. Ho – Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, University of Szeged

  Co-author: Zoltán Bátori – Department of Ecology, University of Szeged

  Co-author: Attila Lengyel – Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany

  Co-author: Csaba Tölgyesi – Department of Ecology, University of Szeged

  Co-author: Péter Török – MTA-DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research Group
• 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM EDT

  Clearcut edge influence on lichens, slugs and their interaction in forested wetlands of Nova Scotia, Canada
  

  Presenting Author: Cole Vail – Dalhousie University

  Co-Author: Hugo Medeiros – Saint Mary's University

  Co-author: SEAN HAUGHIAN – NOVA SCOTIA MUSEUM

  Co-author: Karen Harper – Saint Mary's University
• 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM EDT

  Taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of understorey plants respond differently to environmental conditions in European forest edges
  

  Presenting Author: Karen De Pauw – Ghent University

  Co-author: Camille Meeussen – University of Ghent

  Co-author: Sanne Govaert – University of Ghent

  Co-author: Pieter Sanczuk – University of Ghent

  Co-author: Thomas Vanneste – University of Ghent

  Co-author: Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann – University of Jena

  Co-author: Kurt Bollmann – Forest, snow and landscape Research WSL

  Co-author: Jörg Brunet – Swedisch University of Agricultural sciences, Alnarp, Sweden

  Co-author: Kim Calders – Department of Environment, Ghent University, Belgium

  Co-author: Sara A.O. Cousins – Stockholm university

  Co-author: Martin Diekmann – Bremen university

  Co-author: Per-Ola Hedwall – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden

  Co-author: Giovanni Iacopetti – University of Florence

  Co-author: Jonathan Lenoir – Université de Picardie Jules Verne

  Co-author: Sigrid Lindmo – Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

  Co-author: Anna Orczewska – University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland;

  Co-author: Quentin Ponette – Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la- Neuve, Belgium

  Co-author: Jan Plue – 13IVL Swedish Environmental Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

  Co-author: Federico Selvi – University of Florence

  Co-author: Hans Verbeeck – Department of Environment, Ghent University, Belgium

  Co-author: Pieter Vermeir – University of Ghent

  Co-author: Florian Zellweger – Forest, snow and landscape Research WSL

  Co-author: Kris Verheyen – Gent University

  Co-author: Pieter Vangansbeke – University of Ghent

  Co-author: Pieter De Frenne – University of Ghent
• 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

  Dynamics of carbon cycling at temperate forest edges
  

  Presenting Author: Lucy R. Hutyra – Boston University Department of Earth & Environment

  Co-author: Luca Morreale – Boston University

  Co-author: Sarah M. Garvey – Boston University, Department of Earth and Environment

  Co-author: Pamela H. Templer – Boston University

  Co-author: Jonathan Thompson – Harvard Forest

  Co-author: Andrew Reinmann – Hunter College