The effects of fragmentation on Araucaria forest: analysis of the fern and lycophyte communities at sites subject to different edge conditions

Edge effects impact species richness and composition as a result of environmental changes caused by fragmentation. This study analyzed edge effects on a community of terrestrial ferns and lycophytes in an Araucaria forest in Brazil at sites subjected to differing edge conditions: (1) a site bordering a road running through the interior of a conservation unit, and (2) a site bordering an agricultural property. Twelve 10 × 10 m plots were selected at the edge and in the interior of each site, and accounted for a total of 48 plots. The edges had lost their characteristic floristic identity, suggesting that many species are sensitive to variations in environmental conditions. The edge effect had a negative impact on species richness as shown by the greater average numbers of fern and lycophyte species in forest interiors at both sites. The results showed that the forest fragments in contact with agricultural areas were subjected to more intense edge effects than the fragments bordering a road within a conservation unit.