Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Forest fragmentation and selective logging have inconsistent effects on multiple animal-mediated ecosystem processes in a tropical forest
PLoS ONE, Volume 6, No. 11, Article e27785, Year 2011
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Forest fragmentation and selective logging are two main drivers of global environmental change and modify biodiversity and environmental conditions in many tropical forests. The consequences of these changes for the functioning of tropical forest ecosystems have rarely been explored in a comprehensive approach. In a Kenyan rainforest, we studied six animal-mediated ecosystem processes and recorded species richness and community composition of all animal taxa involved in these processes. We used linear models and a formal meta-analysis to test whether forest fragmentation and selective logging affected ecosystem processes and biodiversity and used structural equation models to disentangle direct from biodiversity-related indirect effects of human disturbance on multiple ecosystem processes. Fragmentation increased decomposition and reduced antbird predation, while selective logging consistently increased pollination, seed dispersal and army-ant raiding. Fragmentation modified species richness or community composition of five taxa, whereas selective logging did not affect any component of biodiversity. Changes in the abundance of functionally important species were related to lower predation by antbirds and higher decomposition rates in small forest fragments. The positive effects of selective logging on bee pollination, bird seed dispersal and army-ant raiding were direct, i.e. not related to changes in biodiversity, and were probably due to behavioural changes of these highly mobile animal taxa. We conclude that animal-mediated ecosystem processes respond in distinct ways to different types of human disturbance in Kakamega Forest. Our findings suggest that forest fragmentation affects ecosystem processes indirectly by changes in biodiversity, whereas selective logging influences processes directly by modifying local environmental conditions and resource distributions. The positive to neutral effects of selective logging on ecosystem processes show that the functionality of tropical forests can be maintained in moderately disturbed forest fragments. Conservation concepts for tropical forests should thus include not only remaining pristine forests but also functionally viable forest remnants. © 2011 Schleuning et al.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3218041/bin/pone.0027785.s001.eps
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3218041/bin/pone.0027785.s002.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3218041/bin/pone.0027785.s003.doc
Authors & Co-Authors
Schleuning, Matthias
Germany, Mainz
Johannes Gutenberg-universität Mainz
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Gesellschaft Für Naturforschung
Farwig, Nina
Germany, Marburg
Philipps-universität Marburg
Peters, Marcell K.
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Germany, Wurzburg
Julius-maximilians-universität Würzburg
Bergsdorf, Thomas
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Bleher, Bärbel
Germany, Mainz
Johannes Gutenberg-universität Mainz
Brandl, Roland
Germany, Marburg
Philipps-universität Marburg
Dalitz, Helmut
Germany, Stuttgart
Universität Hohenheim
Fischer, Georg
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Freund, Wolfram
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Gikungu, Mary W.
Kenya, Nairobi
National Museums of Kenya
Hagen, Melanie
Germany, Bielefeld
Universität Bielefeld
Denmark, Aarhus
Aarhus Universitet
Hita Garcia, Francisco
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Kagezi, Godfrey Hurbby
Germany, Marburg
Philipps-universität Marburg
Kaib, Manfred
Germany, Bayreuth
Universität Bayreuth
Kraemer, Manfred
Germany, Bielefeld
Universität Bielefeld
Lung, Tobias
Germany, Karlsruhe
Hochschule Karlsruhe - Technik Und Wirtschaft
Naumann, Clas M.
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Schaab, Gertrud
Germany, Karlsruhe
Hochschule Karlsruhe - Technik Und Wirtschaft
Templin, Mathias
Germany, Mainz
Johannes Gutenberg-universität Mainz
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Gesellschaft Für Naturforschung
Uster, Dana
Germany, Stuttgart
Universität Hohenheim
Wägele, Johann Wolfgang
Germany, Bonn
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Böhning-Gaese, Katrin
Germany, Mainz
Johannes Gutenberg-universität Mainz
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Senckenberg Gesellschaft Für Naturforschung
Germany, Frankfurt am Main
Goethe-universität Frankfurt am Main
Statistics
Citations: 83
Authors: 22
Affiliations: 13
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0027785
e-ISSN:
19326203
Study Approach
Systematic review