Edge influence on forest composition in a pine-oak forest in central Mexico

Abstract

Deforestation in central Mexico comes as a direct consequence of the increase in agriculture demand and has resulted in the creation of more habitat edges. Changes in land usage for agriculture and resource extraction has resulted in habitat destruction and degradation; these same mechanisms have led to habitat fragmentation by producing smaller, and isolated fragments separated by human-transformed land cover. The loss of continuous area has resulted in greater exposure to human dominated landscapes resulting in changes to the structure and function of the remaining fragment. To quantify, document, and describe the edge influence on forest composition fragmented by an agriculture field, I sampled 6 transects with 3, 10, 20, 30, & 40m data points per transect. My results reveal an edge influence on forest composition from an agriculture field.