Long-term colonization ecology of forest-dwelling species in a fragmented rural landscape - dispersal versus establishment.

ABSTRACT: Species colonization in a new habitat patch is an efficiency indicator of biodiversity conservation. Colonization is a two-step process of dispersal and establishment, characterized by the compatibility of plant traits with landscape structure and habitat conditions. Therefore, ecological trait profiling of specialist species is initially required to estimate the relative importance of colonization filters. Old planted parks best satisfy the criteria of a newly created and structurally matured habitat for forest-dwelling plant species. We sampled species in 230 ancient deciduous forests (source habitat), 74 closed-canopy manor parks (target habitats), 151 linear wooded habitats (landscape corridors), and 97 open habitats (isolating matrix) in Estonia. We defined two species groups of inter

SUBMITTER: Lohmus K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4161184 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature