Edge effects, which are the differences between edge and interior habitats, can impact biodiversity responses to fragmentation. There are three types of edge effects: abiotic effects, which result from the proximity to a structurally dissimilar matrix and involve changes in environmental conditions; and direct biological effects, which involve changes in environmental conditions. Positive LRR values indicate increased species richness at edges compared to interior, while negative LRR values indicate fewer species at edges.
In an analysis of forest edge-to-interior transects in Europe, the authors show that different facets of biodiversity and different types of ecosystem service are found in forest interiors. At the species level, the degree of habitat specialization explains the differential response of species to edge effects. More specialized species show that species positively affected by edges include invasive species such as Canis lupus, the green iguana, and the common boa.
Species in fragmented landscapes in Brazil may be forced to use suboptimal habitats and move closer to edges or even into anthropogenic environments to fulfill their needs. In Argentina, effects were significant for up to 24 meters from the edge for species richness, ENS, ground vegetation cover, and litter depth. Only the variation in DBH was still significantly different from interior forest plots.
Edge species are adapted to conditions at the boundaries of ecosystems and can handle variable conditions, while interior species require more stable, less specialized conditions. Some species have been shown to avoid edges in response to one edge type but not another.
In ecology, species are often classified based on their preferred habitats, with two such classifications being edge species and interior species. Understanding the differences between edge and interior conditions is crucial for understanding biodiversity responses to fragmentation and preserving ecosystem services.
📹 Understanding the Edge Effect with Examples
What is an EDGE species in biology?
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species are those with few or no close relatives on the Tree of Life, representing large amounts of threatened evolutionary history. These species are highly distinct in appearance, life, behavior, and genetic makeup, and their disappearance would result in nothing like them on the planet. Each species is scored based on its unique evolutionary history (Evolutionary Distinctiveness) and conservation status (Global Endangerment).
Those with high ED and GE scores are prioritized. Some species are more distinct due to their larger amount of unique evolution, such as the tuatara, which has no close relatives and has been evolving independently for millions of years, and the brown rat, which originated recently and has many close relatives.
What is an example of edge effect species?
Edge effect refers to changes in population or community structures at the boundary of two habitats, often resulting in a higher number of species and population density in some communities. Edge species are organisms primarily or most abundant in this zone, particularly in terrestrial ecosystems like birds.
Ecological niche refers to the unique functional role and position of a species in its habitat or ecosystem. In nature, many species occupy the same habitat but perform different functions, such as habitat, food, reproductive, and physical and chemical niches. Edge species are the organisms that occur primarily or most abundantly in this zone, such as birds in the forest and desert ecosystems.
What is an example of an EDGE species?
EDGE species, such as the purple frog and Indian pangolin, represent billions of years of evolutionary history and are irreplaceable. They are often bizarre in appearance and behavior but are the ultimate survivors, with about one-third inhabiting mega-biodiverse areas called EDGE Zones. Some of these species are the only remaining descendants of a whole branch of evolutionary history. However, most of the 4, 000 known EDGE species are overlooked and poorly understood, with only one in every ten receiving the conservation attention it needs.
What are the EDGE species in the IUCN?
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species are those with a high EDGE score, combining conservation status and evolutionary distinctiveness. These species have few closely related species, resulting in disproportionate amounts of unique evolutionary history. The SSC Chair’s Office has partnered with On the Edge (OTE) to offer small grants to SSC groups to improve assessment and planning for overlooked and evolutionarily distinct species.
These grants can be used to assess highly Evolutionarily Distinct species without a Red Listing, reassess EDGE species with outdated Red Listings, and develop conservation action plans for EDGE species in need of updating.
What are three examples of different species?
Examples of species include humans, Felis catus, red fox, staghorn coral, Tagetes erecta, hybrids, zinnias, and E. coli.
What is an EDGE species in ecology?
The EDGE of Existence programme is a scientific framework that identifies the world’s most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. These species are unique and extraordinary, with few close relatives on the Tree of Life and are often extremely unusual in their appearance, life, and behavior. They represent a unique part of the world’s natural heritage, yet an alarming proportion are on the verge of extinction. To safeguard these species, the EDGE Fellowship is a 28-month fellowship for local early-career conservationists from lower- and middle-income countries.
The fellowship equips these emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to advance their careers and spearhead effective conservation efforts for the world’s most unique and extraordinary species.
What are the 3 main species?
The three species concepts – biological, morphological, and phylogenetic – are essential in understanding the delimitation of species. The biological species concept, proposed by Ernst Mayr, states that a species is a group of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other groups. This isolation can be prezygotic, meaning individuals of different groups do not mate with each other, or postzygotic, meaning individuals of different groups mate together but cannot produce viable offspring.
To discuss the evolution of new species over time, it is crucial to define what a species is. This involves considering the magnitude and types of differences between individuals, which would lead us to consider them members of different species. A species concept is a working definition of a species and a methodology for determining whether two organisms are members of the same species.
However, all species concepts have limitations and work better for some organismal groups than others. The biological species concept is the most well-known, as it states that a species is a group of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other groups.
What is an example of two different species?
The classification of horses and donkeys as distinct species is based on their infertility and inability to reproduce. This is evidenced by the hybrid offspring produced when a female horse and a male donkey mate, which are known as mules.
What is an example of an interior species?
Forest interior bird species include Neotropical migratory songbirds like Swainson’s thrush, black-throated blue warbler, and scarlet tanager, as well as common resident species like barred owl, hairy woodpecker, and broad-winged hawk. WPC has conducted habitat relationship studies to understand these relationships and recommend improvements to forest habitat conservation and management. In north central Pennsylvania, research has shown the importance of different forest types for different forest interior birds, and that other habitat elements like shrub cover, snags, and basal area can be better managed to benefit at-risk species.
Hemlock forests have the highest conservation value for forest interior birds, while oak forests hold value for high priority forest birds like black-throated blue warblers and Cerulean warblers. Further studies are needed to learn more.
How is an EDGE species identified?
EDGE Species are threatened species that are expected to secure long branches of the Tree of Life if conserved. They are identified using two criteria: Evolutionary Distinctiveness, which measures the amount of evolutionary history a species is expected to be responsible for in the future, and Global Endangerment, which measures its closeness to extinction. Species that score highly for both are ranked higher on the EDGE scores for their respective taxonomic groups.
EDGE scores are calculated multiple times for each species to account for uncertainties around evolutionary relationships and extinction proximity. Only species with high confidence in being highly evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered are included in the EDGE List. An EDGE List includes species listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List and has at least 95 confidence they have an EDGE score above the median for their taxonomic group.
What is the difference between edge effect and edge species?
The term “edge effects” is used to describe changes in population or community structures at the boundary of two habitats. These changes typically result in an increase in the number of species present in these regions, which are referred to as “edge species.”
📹 All About Arborvitaes | Ask This Old House
In this video, Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada explains some of the basics of selecting and caring for a …
Great Information .. thank you. I have two Little Giant Arborvitae in our garden bed planted about 4 years ago (Central NC – Zone 7b) .. they are about 4ft tall. Just curious to know what is the optimal height as at 4 ft they seem too big for the garden bed. And is it OK to prune/shear now before hot days in summer ?
Thank you for this informative article! I’m planning to get evergreen trees for privacy/screen for my backyard. It’s not a huge lot (about 0.34 of an acre) and I was thinking of planting emerald green until I watched this article, that emerald green arborvitae are not deer resistant! I don’t think our yard is meant for thuja green giant because of it’s size at mature height and width. Please let me know which evergreens would be best that are deer resistant (we live in NYS) and that won’t drop needles.
I’m looking to plant steeplechase Arborvitea along my property line at my camp in north central Pa. For privacy. I’m told its deer resistant and grows to about 20 feet and 6 to 8 ft. wide. How long would it take a newly planted 4 to 5 foot tree to grow to 8 foot? Would you recommend any other tree that grows to about 15 to 20 feet and not to wide, plus be deer resistant?
omg. i finally know how to pronounce this. our builder planted a thuja on the front corner of our house. we have a porch. it was a great privacy landscape, as the position of our house / prorch faced our neighbor’s back deck. and in the early days, i would light that tree up with thousands of clear lights during christmas time. everybody loved it. unfortunately i let it grow and Grow and GROW. i could have dropped it myself, but considering close proximity to my neighbor’s house, i hired a pro. it was literally 50 ft tall at the tip. nothing could kill this tree except for a chainsaw. all this to say, it was the builder’s bad. definitely should have chosen the more expensive emerald green to be planted in that location.