Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro.
In most habitats, vegetation provides the main structure of the environment. This complexity can facilitate biodiversity and ecosystem services. Therefore, measures of vegetation structure can serve as indicators in ecosystem management. However, many structural measures are laborious and require ex...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4583428?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1829142668007964672 |
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| author | Gemma Rutten Andreas Ensslin Andreas Hemp Markus Fischer |
| author_facet | Gemma Rutten Andreas Ensslin Andreas Hemp Markus Fischer |
| author_sort | Gemma Rutten |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In most habitats, vegetation provides the main structure of the environment. This complexity can facilitate biodiversity and ecosystem services. Therefore, measures of vegetation structure can serve as indicators in ecosystem management. However, many structural measures are laborious and require expert knowledge. Here, we used consistent and convenient measures to assess vegetation structure over an exceptionally broad elevation gradient of 866-4550 m above sea level at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Additionally, we compared (human)-modified habitats, including maize fields, traditionally managed home gardens, grasslands, commercial coffee farms and logged and burned forests with natural habitats along this elevation gradient. We distinguished vertical and horizontal vegetation structure to account for habitat complexity and heterogeneity. Vertical vegetation structure (assessed as number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) displayed a unimodal elevation pattern, peaking at intermediate elevations in montane forests, whereas horizontal structure (assessed as coefficient of variation of number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) was lowest at intermediate altitudes. Overall, vertical structure was consistently lower in modified than in natural habitat types, whereas horizontal structure was inconsistently different in modified than in natural habitat types, depending on the specific structural measure and habitat type. Our study shows how vertical and horizontal vegetation structure can be assessed efficiently in various habitat types in tropical mountain regions, and we suggest to apply this as a tool for informing future biodiversity and ecosystem service studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:35:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e9b0adf13d64270b5d7dfa8f3239fd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:35:23Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e9b0adf13d64270b5d7dfa8f3239fd52022-12-21T22:48:25ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01109e013882210.1371/journal.pone.0138822Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro.Gemma RuttenAndreas EnsslinAndreas HempMarkus FischerIn most habitats, vegetation provides the main structure of the environment. This complexity can facilitate biodiversity and ecosystem services. Therefore, measures of vegetation structure can serve as indicators in ecosystem management. However, many structural measures are laborious and require expert knowledge. Here, we used consistent and convenient measures to assess vegetation structure over an exceptionally broad elevation gradient of 866-4550 m above sea level at Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Additionally, we compared (human)-modified habitats, including maize fields, traditionally managed home gardens, grasslands, commercial coffee farms and logged and burned forests with natural habitats along this elevation gradient. We distinguished vertical and horizontal vegetation structure to account for habitat complexity and heterogeneity. Vertical vegetation structure (assessed as number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) displayed a unimodal elevation pattern, peaking at intermediate elevations in montane forests, whereas horizontal structure (assessed as coefficient of variation of number, width and density of vegetation layers, maximum canopy height, leaf area index and vegetation cover) was lowest at intermediate altitudes. Overall, vertical structure was consistently lower in modified than in natural habitat types, whereas horizontal structure was inconsistently different in modified than in natural habitat types, depending on the specific structural measure and habitat type. Our study shows how vertical and horizontal vegetation structure can be assessed efficiently in various habitat types in tropical mountain regions, and we suggest to apply this as a tool for informing future biodiversity and ecosystem service studies.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4583428?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Gemma Rutten Andreas Ensslin Andreas Hemp Markus Fischer Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro. PLoS ONE |
| title | Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro. |
| title_full | Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro. |
| title_fullStr | Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro. |
| title_short | Vertical and Horizontal Vegetation Structure across Natural and Modified Habitat Types at Mount Kilimanjaro. |
| title_sort | vertical and horizontal vegetation structure across natural and modified habitat types at mount kilimanjaro |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4583428?pdf=render |
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