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The border between forest and farmland: Why is biodiversity so amazing at the edge?
In ecology, edge effects refer to changes in species or community structure that occur at the boundary between two or more habitats. In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization, many habitats are being cut into small fragments by human activities, which makes the edge effect more significant and produces unexpected impacts. The rich biodiversity at the edge is a result of these changes.
As edge effects increase, border habitats provide more biodiversity.
Identifying the fundamental types of edge effects can be divided into edges related to natural features, changes caused by human activities, and edges of a specific width, such as narrow, wide, or complex boundaries. Natural boundaries, such as rivers or mountains, are relatively stable, whereas artificial boundaries are often variable or even perforated by overlapping habitats.
In these marginal areas, specific environmental conditions encourage the growth of certain plants and animals. For example, plants near the forest edge are often shade-tolerant. These plants, such as shrubs and vines, can tolerate drier conditions, allowing animals such as white-tailed deer, rabbits, and bluebirds to thrive here.
Animal movements and interactions shape ecosystems at the edge, affecting the biodiversity of entire habitats.
The impact of edges on species is not only reflected in changes to the growing environment, but also covers the interrelationships between different species. For example, once a predator's pet enters a native wildlife habitat, it can sometimes cause damage to the ecological balance, especially in recent years when humans have rapidly developed ecosystems.
America's forest edges are becoming increasingly diverse, giving some species like the brown-headed cowbird increasing opportunities to reproduce, but for others, survival may be at risk. The expansion of fringes, together with berries, flowers, fruits and other light-sensitive plants, are benefiting from this change.
With the marginalization of habitats, the impact of human activities has become more significant, causing habitat fragmentation and disintegration.
Edges of different shapes and sizes have different impacts on biodiversity. According to research, larger forest fragments are able to sustain higher native species diversity. The formation of new edges often leads to accelerated expansion of invasive species from farmland or cities, which in turn weakens obligate species accustomed to living in deep forests.
We can see that the edge effect of the rainforest is particularly obvious in the Amazon. Some studies have pointed out that the area with edge effect exceeds the cleared forest area. The increased light and wind affect the microclimate of the internal forest, which has an impact on the original Ecosystems pose threats.
Ultimately, while fringes appear to be hotspots of biodiversity, there are many potential threats, not least damage caused by human activities. Such ecosystem changes are undoubtedly a major challenge for species that rely on a stable environment.
As humans continue to change land use, can we find a balance and protect biodiversity in marginal areas?
