La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Conservation value of tropical secondary forest: A herpetofaunal perspective
Auteurs :	Adriana Herrera-Montes, Auteur ; Nicholas Brokaw, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Biological Conservation (143(6) JUN 2010)
Article en page(s) :	1414-1422
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	In some areas of the tropics forests are recovering on abandoned cattle pastures. These secondary forests may be important habitats for conserving biodiversity, but we know little about their species composition over the long term. We studied herpetofaunal community changes in a 40 years chronosequence of forest succession on abandoned pastures in Puerto Rico. Twelve submontane sites (100-250 mast) represented four forest recovery stages: pasture, young (1-5 years after abandonment), intermediate (10-20 years), and advanced (40 years). Among these stages we analyzed the relationship of forest structure, microclimate, and herpetofaunal community structure. During succession total forest height increased, new strata of vegetation appeared in the understory, and the forest gained heterogeneity and complexity. Microclimate changed with changes in the physiognomy and structure of the vegetation. Microclimatic shifts were more dramatic in forest 20 years old resembles mature forest in some structural characteristics important to herpetofauna and can provide habitat for forest herpetofauna in disturbed areas. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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