Edge effects on vegetation in rights-of-way
Book chapter
Is part of
The sixth International Symposium on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management : 24-26 February 1997, New Orleans. Louisiana, USA ; pp. 25-33.Publisher(s)
ElsevierAffiliation
Contributor(s)
Abstract(s)
As a result of an increasing use of ecological methods for the control of vegetation in rights-of-way,
it has become necessary to understand the natural processes that are likely to facilitate or hinder
management objectives. Several factors may influence species composition within corridors, but
edge effects ofthe vegetation immediately adjacent to the right-of-way is one ofthe mostimportant.
To better measure and understand edge effects, we studied the spatial distribution of vegetation
types on test right-of-way sites located in southern Quebec. Sampling was done along 133 transects
located perpendicular to the right-of-way, with a distance of50 m between transects. Each transect
consisted ofseven quadrats covering the vegetation within the corridor and two quadrats outside
of the corridor. The results show that there is a strong edge effect on plant composition in the
right-of-way corridor, especially when it is bordered by a forest. The edge effects result in a greater
dominance of tree species and to a lesser extent a greater number of shrubs. Besides species
richness, the species composition is also different at the edge of the right-of-way, with several
species more likely to be found at the edge, while others occur more often in the central zone. There
was little significant difference between north-facing and south-facing edges. Seed dispersal is
assumed to be the main factor responsible for edge effects on plant composition. These results have
implications on vegetation management in right-of-way corridors.
Note(s)
Ce texte est issu d’un symposium: International Symposium on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management (6e : 1997 : La Nouvelle-Orléans, Louisiane)This document disseminated on Papyrus is the exclusive property of the copyright holders and is protected by the Copyright Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42). It may be used for fair dealing and non-commercial purposes, for private study or research, criticism and review as provided by law. For any other use, written authorization from the copyright holders is required.