Áreas protegidas são consensualmente reconhecidas como a principal estratégia para a conservação da biodiversidade. Avaliar a efetividade destas áreas, especialmente em biomas como a Mata Atlântica onde as áreas protegidas são como ilhas de floresta em paisagens altamente alteradas pelo homem, é de suma importância. O Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (PNI) abriga um dos maiores remanescentes de Mata Atlântica do Brasil, possui alta visitação turística, assenta-se sobre solos férteis, sofrendo muitas pressões advindas das paisagens antropizadas adjacentes, e é considerado um dos parques mais bem geridos no país. Este trabalho buscou avaliar a efetividade desta área protegida através da análise do padrão de ocupação de 17 espécies de mamíferos terrestres de maior porte em relação à proximidade a atrativos turísticos, distância da borda do parque e pressão de caça. Informações sobre ocupação foram obtidas entre 2009 e 2013 através de armadilhas fotográficas distribuídas sistematicamente em 37 sítios amostrais em cerca de 300 km2, um sexto da área do parque. Muitas espécies raras ou localmente extintas em outros remanescentes de Mata Atlântica apresentaram altas taxas de ocupação no PNI, que juntamente com poucas áreas protegidas do sudeste do Brasil representam as únicas áreas do bioma que ainda abrigam uma fauna de grandes mamíferos intacta. No entanto, a distribuição de 11 das 17 espécies analisadas não foi homogênea, tendo sido afetada por pelo menos um dos fatores de ameaça estudados, principalmente a distância da borda do parque e proximidade a atrativos turísticos. O efeito negativo destas ameaças deve ser ainda mais forte em áreas protegidas menores e mais isoladas, que representam a maioria em biomas muito alterados como a Mata Atlântica. Medidas como o restabelecimento e manejo de zonas tampão, a manutenção de atrativos turísticos em áreas restritas, o combate efetivo das atividades ilícitas e a redução de conflitos entre animais silvestres e o homem, são fundamentais para a efetividade de áreas protegidas para conservação da biodiversidade no longo prazo / Protected areas are widely recognized as the main strategy for biodiversity conservation. Evaluating the effectiveness of these areas, especially in biomes such as the Atlantic Forest where protected areas are forest islands immersed in highly altered landscapes, is of paramount importance. The Iguaçu National Park (INP) harbors one of the largest Atlantic Forest remnants in Brazil, receives vast number of tourists, is located on productive soils, suffering many threats from the adjacent human-modified landscapes, and is considered one of the best managed parks in the country. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of this protected area through the analysis of the occupancy patterns of 17 terrestrial large mammals relative to the proximity to tourism attractions, distance from the edge of the park and hunting pressure. Occupancy information was obtained from 2009 to 2013 with camera traps distributed systematically across 37 sites covering around 300 km2, one-sixth of the park. Many species that are rare or locally extinct in other Atlantic Forest remnants presented high occupancy within the INP, which together with few protected areas from southeastern Brazil represent the only areas of this biome that still harbor an intact large mammal fauna. The distribution of 11 of the 17 analyzed species was not homogeneous across the park, however, being affected by at least one of the studied threat factors, mainly the distance from the edge of the park and proximity to tourism attractions. The negative effects of these threats should be even stronger on smaller and more isolated protected areas, which are the majority in highly altered biomes such as the Atlantic Forest. Measures such as the re-establish and management of buffer zones, the maintenance of tourism in restricted areas, the effective combat of illicit activities and the reduction of human-wildlife conflicts are essential to the effectiveness of protected areas for biodiversity conservation in the long run

There is a range of detailed research on edge effects using field data at local scales. However, the scientific literature lacks studies that aim to understand its characteristics in forest fragments using larger scales. Also, few works have considered the influences that each fragment of the landscape imposes on its neighbour. Since biological processes linked to fragmentation and degradation commonly start at edges and influence the dynamics of forest communities, studies on edge effects are crucial for the development of management and conservation plans. Lidar technologies have been used in several studies on forest structure, but few have investigated edge effects. This dissertation presents two distinct applications of lidar for studying anthropogenic-caused edges in different scenarios and ecosystems. In the first study, edge effects in commercial Eucalyptus plantations and fragments of the Atlantic Forest, located in the State of São Paulo, were evaluated by quantifying the differences in height and understory density in the edge vegetation vs core. We also sought to understand the influences that each type of adjacent fragment (Eucalyptus, native forest or pasture) imposes on the neighbouring vegetation. Edge effects, regarding height and understory density, on fragments of native vegetation adjacent to Eucalyptus plantations and vice-versa were more attenuated than nearby pastures. The results indicated that the protection of native forests in silviculture areas besides favouring the maintenance of local ecosystem services (provision and maintenance of water flow, diversity of flora and fauna species, natural pest control, etc.) could help maintain the homogeneity of the stands due to their ability to minimise edge effects. This protection could favour the occurrence of border Eucalyptus more similar to the ones in the core. In the second study, edge effects caused by seismic lines, i.e. corridors cut through the forest during the process of exploration of gas and oil, in areas of Boreal Forest in the central region of Alberta is addressed. Besides quantifying the effects of distance from seismic lines over height and fractional cover on the neighbouring vegetation, the interactions between these variables and primary vegetation growth factors related to the topographic position, incident radiation and surface geology were evaluated. The results showed that significant changes in vegetation structure adjacent to forest edge occur close to seismic lines, including reduced tree height and cover. Random Forest analyses revealed that the distance from the seismic line, incident radiation and surface water accumulation potential (inferred from the topographic position index) are the most critical variables for height and fractional cover prediction. Overall, lidar proved to be a robust tool for assessing the spatial and ecological dimensions of edge effects in different scenarios. With this in mind, management and conservation strategies for fragmented areas could benefit from this technology to reduce the impact from edge effects on ecosystems. / Há uma gama de pesquisas detalhadas sobre efeitos de borda usando dados de campo em escalas locais. No entanto, a literatura científica carece de trabalhos que visem compreender suas características em fragmentos florestais utilizando escalas maiores. Além disso, poucos estudos levaram em conta as influências que cada fragmento da paisagem impõe sobre seu vizinho. Uma vez que processos biológicos ligados à fragmentação e degradação geralmente se iniciam pelas bordas e influenciam a dinâmica das comunidades florestais, estudos sobre efeitos de borda são cruciais para o desenvolvimento de planos de manejo e conservação. Tecnologias lidar têm sido usadas em diversos estudos sobre a estrutura de florestas, mas poucos trabalhos investigaram efeitos de borda. Esta dissertação apresenta duas aplicações distintas do lidar para o estudo de bordas criadas pelo homem em diferentes cenários e ecossistemas. No primeiro estudo, efeitos de borda em plantios comerciais de eucalipto e fragmentos de Mata Atlântica, no Estado de São Paulo, foram avaliados por meio da quantificação das diferenças na altura e densidade do sub-bosque na vegetação da borda vs. interior. Buscou-se também compreender as influências que cada tipo de fragmento adjacente (eucalipto, floresta nativa ou pasto) impõe sobre a vegetação vizinha. Os efeitos de borda, em termos de altura e densidade do sub-bosque, em fragmentos de vegetação nativa adjacentes aos plantios de eucalipto e vice-versa foram mais atenuados do que próximo às pastagens. Os resultados indicaram que a proteção de florestas nativas em áreas de silvicultura além de favorecer a manutenção de serviços ecossistêmicos locais (provisão e manutenção do fluxo de água, diversidade de espécies da flora e fauna, controle natural de pragas etc.) poderia ajudar a manter a homogeneidade dos talhões devido à sua capacidade de minimizar os efeitos de borda. Esta proteção poderia favorecer a ocorrência de eucaliptos de borda mais semelhantes aos de interior. No segundo estudo, foram abordados efeitos de borda causados pela abertura de linhas sísmicas durante o processo de exploração de gás e petróleo em áreas de Floresta Boreal, na região central de Alberta. Além da quantificação dos efeitos da distância das linhas sísmicas na altura e cobertura arbórea da vegetação vizinha, foram avaliadas as interações entre tais variáveis e fatores de crescimento primário da vegetação relacionados a posição topográfica, radiação e superfície geológica. Os resultados mostraram que variações significativas na estrutura da vegetação adjacente à borda da floresta ocorrem próximas às linhas sísmicas, incluindo altura e cobertura arbórea reduzidas. Análises por meio de florestas aleatórias (random forest) revelaram que a distância da linha sísmica, a radiação incidente e o potencial de acumulação de água superficial (inferida a partir do índice de posição topográfica) são as variáveis mais importantes para predição de altura e cobertura arbórea. No geral, o lidar se mostrou uma ferramenta robusta para avaliar as dimensões espaciais e ecológicas dos efeitos de borda em diferentes cenários. Com isso em mente, estratégias de manejo e conservação para áreas fragmentadas poderiam se beneficiar desta tecnologia para redução do impacto de efeitos de borda nos ecossistemas.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T16:20:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O aumento das bordas florestais é parte da influência da fragmentação nos remanescentes de mata e pode afetar as comunidades de pequenos mamíferos. Para avaliar tal efeito, amostrei cinco áreas representativas das florestas da região sul do Brasil. Em cada uma delas amostrei a abundância e riqueza e diversidade de pequenos mamíferos, na matriz (> 60 m da floresta), borda (até 15 m para o interior da floresta), zona intermediária (60 m para o interior) e interior florestal (150 m). Avaliei ainda a disponibilidade de recursos alimentares e características estruturais do hábitat em todos esses ambientes. Para um total de 446 indivíduos (20 espécies) capturados, os dados não indicaram efeitos de borda evidentes para nenhuma das métricas utilizadas. Talvez isso se explique pelas características estruturais da borda não serem claramente distintas dos outros habitats. Além disso, não detectei também diferenças na disponibilidade de recursos (frutos e invertebrados) entre os três habitats florestais amostrados. No e / The increase of forest edges is part of the influence of the fragmentation on forest remnants and may affect small-mammal communities. For evaluating such effect I sampled five areas representative of South-Brazilian forests. In each of them I sampled the abundance, richness, and diversity of small mammals, in the matrix (> 60 m of the forest), edge (up to 15 m to the forest interior), intermediate zone (60 m to the interior), and forest interior (150 m). I also evaluated the availability of food resources and structural characteristics of the vegetation at these habitats. For a total of 446 individuals (20 species) captured the results did not indicate evident edge effects for any of the community metrics. Such pattern may be explained by the lack of differences in structural characteristics between edges and the other forest habitats. Besides, I did not detect differences in resource availability (fruits and invertebrates) among the three forest habitats, either. However, rarefaction curves indicated s

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-03-16T13:44:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 00000AC7.pdf: 4983854 bytes, checksum: 354b89932347d08ba4263cd1c545ef4f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-16T13:44:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 00000AC7.pdf: 4983854 bytes, checksum: 354b89932347d08ba4263cd1c545ef4f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-01-01 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Diversas áreas do conhecimento utilizam técnicas de coleta de dados espaciais com grande resolução e precisão. Em especial, a Geologia tem utilizado novos equipamentos para a automatização de levantamentos e mapeamentos geológicos. A coleta digital feita com lasers scanners terrestres registra não só posicionamento e cor, como também a intensidade de retorno do sinal emitido. Ao utilizar as informações de intensidade de retorno do laser, pode ocorrer o efeito de borda, que é quando o laser colide parcialmente com o alvo e parte do sinal é perdido ou, ainda, colide com outros objetos não desejados ao fundo. Esse efeito faz com que a intensidade de retorno seja uma intensidade incorreta, quando analisa-se a reflectância dos materiais que compõem o alvo escaneado. Para resolver este problema, um novo algoritmo foi desenvolvido utilizando os dados conhecidos do laser, como a posição e a divergência do sinal para recuperar a intensidade de retorno do pulso laser correta quando o efeito de borda é detectado nos dados coletados. Os resultados mostram que esta técnica é uma possível solução para recuperar a intensidade de retorno do pulso de acordo com a reflectância dos materiais que compõem o afloramento. Um estudo adicional é necessário para realizar a otimização do algoritmo e para realizar uma análise estatística das intensidades corrigidas. / Several areas of knowledge use digital techniques to collect spacial data with higher resolution and precision. In special, Geology is using new equipaments to automate geological surveys and mappings. The digital acquisition made with terrestrial laser scanners records not only the target’s position and color, but also the return of the emitted signal’s intensity. When using the laser’s intensity return information, it may occur the edge effect, that is when the laser collides parcially with the target and part of the signal is lost or, also, collides with other undesired objects in the background. This effect makes the laser’s return intensity to be incorrect, when the reflectance of the materials that compose the target being analized. To solve this issue, a new algorithm was developed using the known data as the laser scanner’s position and signal’s divergence to recover the correct laser’s intensity when an edge effect is detected in the collected data. The results show that this technique is a possible solution to recover the correct laser’s return intensity according to the reflectance of the outcrop materials. Additional research is needed to optimize the algorithm and make a statistical analysis of the corrected laser intensity data.

Áreas protegidas são consensualmente reconhecidas como a principal estratégia para a conservação da biodiversidade. Avaliar a efetividade destas áreas, especialmente em biomas como a Mata Atlântica onde as áreas protegidas são como ilhas de floresta em paisagens altamente alteradas pelo homem, é de suma importância. O Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (PNI) abriga um dos maiores remanescentes de Mata Atlântica do Brasil, possui alta visitação turística, assenta-se sobre solos férteis, sofrendo muitas pressões advindas das paisagens antropizadas adjacentes, e é considerado um dos parques mais bem geridos no país. Este trabalho buscou avaliar a efetividade desta área protegida através da análise do padrão de ocupação de 17 espécies de mamíferos terrestres de maior porte em relação à proximidade a atrativos turísticos, distância da borda do parque e pressão de caça. Informações sobre ocupação foram obtidas entre 2009 e 2013 através de armadilhas fotográficas distribuídas sistematicamente em 37 sítios amostrais em cerca de 300 km2, um sexto da área do parque. Muitas espécies raras ou localmente extintas em outros remanescentes de Mata Atlântica apresentaram altas taxas de ocupação no PNI, que juntamente com poucas áreas protegidas do sudeste do Brasil representam as únicas áreas do bioma que ainda abrigam uma fauna de grandes mamíferos intacta. No entanto, a distribuição de 11 das 17 espécies analisadas não foi homogênea, tendo sido afetada por pelo menos um dos fatores de ameaça estudados, principalmente a distância da borda do parque e proximidade a atrativos turísticos. O efeito negativo destas ameaças deve ser ainda mais forte em áreas protegidas menores e mais isoladas, que representam a maioria em biomas muito alterados como a Mata Atlântica. Medidas como o restabelecimento e manejo de zonas tampão, a manutenção de atrativos turísticos em áreas restritas, o combate efetivo das atividades ilícitas e a redução de conflitos entre animais silvestres e o homem, são fundamentais para a efetividade de áreas protegidas para conservação da biodiversidade no longo prazo / Protected areas are widely recognized as the main strategy for biodiversity conservation. Evaluating the effectiveness of these areas, especially in biomes such as the Atlantic Forest where protected areas are forest islands immersed in highly altered landscapes, is of paramount importance. The Iguaçu National Park (INP) harbors one of the largest Atlantic Forest remnants in Brazil, receives vast number of tourists, is located on productive soils, suffering many threats from the adjacent human-modified landscapes, and is considered one of the best managed parks in the country. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of this protected area through the analysis of the occupancy patterns of 17 terrestrial large mammals relative to the proximity to tourism attractions, distance from the edge of the park and hunting pressure. Occupancy information was obtained from 2009 to 2013 with camera traps distributed systematically across 37 sites covering around 300 km2, one-sixth of the park. Many species that are rare or locally extinct in other Atlantic Forest remnants presented high occupancy within the INP, which together with few protected areas from southeastern Brazil represent the only areas of this biome that still harbor an intact large mammal fauna. The distribution of 11 of the 17 analyzed species was not homogeneous across the park, however, being affected by at least one of the studied threat factors, mainly the distance from the edge of the park and proximity to tourism attractions. The negative effects of these threats should be even stronger on smaller and more isolated protected areas, which are the majority in highly altered biomes such as the Atlantic Forest. Measures such as the re-establish and management of buffer zones, the maintenance of tourism in restricted areas, the effective combat of illicit activities and the reduction of human-wildlife conflicts are essential to the effectiveness of protected areas for biodiversity conservation in the long run

Submitted by Leticia Schettini (leticia@ufrrj.br) on 2016-10-06T13:37:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2008 - Flavia de Carvalho Dias.pdf: 1024569 bytes, checksum: dce04583187d6844d4d0b0611035a201 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-06T13:37:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008 - Flavia de Carvalho Dias.pdf: 1024569 bytes, checksum: dce04583187d6844d4d0b0611035a201 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-25 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico - CNPQ / The Atlantic Rain Forest is one of the world?s most endangered biomes. Long before its discovery by western civilization, the forest had already been occupied and used by native populations. The increasing occupation of this biome has generated landscapes composed of a mosaic of forests of different ages that resulted from its usage and that overlap in space and time. Remaining fragments are still subject to manmade impacts including edge effects. Based on these concepts, a study was conducted aiming at understanding the edge effects, on structure and composition, of two areas of Atlantic Rain Forest in the Pedra Branca State Park in Rio de Janeiro, RJ; one located in the valley basins (Ca?ambe river basin), and the other at the limit of the drainage (Grande river basin). At each area, were choosed two sites; one near to the edge and other over 100m from the edge (forest interior). The sites were: valley basin?s edge (Bfv), valley basin?s interior (Ifv), limit of the drainage?s edge (Bdd) and limit of the drainage?s interior (Idd). Changes caused by the existence of a edge, included the assess of a biotic edge effects, using for it changes in the species richness, individuals density, diameter and height. Individual trees and shrubs with diameter at breast height (dbh) > 5 cm were sampled within 32 plots of 10 x 10 m for a total sample size of 0.32 ha. The samples yielded 309 individuals of 77 species, 70 genera and 32 families. The total basal area was 28,89 m2/ha and density was 966 ind./ha. Leguminosae, Meliaceae e Sapotaceae were found to be the richest families. The number of total species is comparable to the referenced values for preserved forests, inventoried in the southeast. The edges species richness (Bfv and Ifv) similar to the interiors species richness (Ifv and Idd). Mean diameter varied form 32, 9 cm and 36,2 cm in the edges and 42,2 cm and 53,1 cm in the forests interiors. Probably, the sampled edges finds itself in a state of natural regeneration and represents an inicial successional state, different to the intermediary sucessional state in the interiors. The index of S?rensen between the four sites may occurs due to the different slope orientation, geomorphologic situation and land use history. / A Mata Atl?ntica ? um dos biomas mais amea?ados do mundo. Desde antes de sua descoberta pelo ocidente, a floresta j? era utilizada e apropriada por popula??es nativas. Com a intensifica??o da ocupa??o deste bioma, geraram-se paisagens compostas por mosaicos de florestas de diferentes idades, provenientes de usos diversos, que se sobrep?em no tempo e no espa?o. Os fragmentos remanescentes est?o ainda sujeitos a v?rios impactos antr?picos, tais como os efeitos de borda. Desta forma, procura-se analisar como a din?mica homem-natureza exerce suas influ?ncias na transforma??o da paisagem. Procurou-se compreender os efeitos de borda na estrutura e composi??o de duas ?reas de Mata Atl?ntica, localizadas no Parque Estadual de Pedra Branca na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, RJ; uma localizada no fundo de vale (bacia do rio Ca?ambe) e a outra no divisor de drenagem (bacia do rio Grande). Em cada ?rea de estudo, foram selecionados 2 s?tios amostrais; um adjacente ? borda e o outro distante a cerca de 100 metros da borda (interior de floresta). Os quatro s?tios amostrais foram denominados borda de fundo de vale (Bfv), interior de fundo de vale (Ifv), borda do divisor de drenagem (Bdd) e interior do divisor de drenagem (Idd). As mudan?as provocadas pela exist?ncia de uma borda envolveram avalia??es de efeitos biol?gicos, utilizando como ferramenta a riqueza de esp?cies, a densidade, estrutura diam?trica e de tamanho dos indiv?duos. Para a amostragem das ?reas, foram implantadas 32 parcelas, de 100 m? (0,32 ha), sendo que o crit?rio de inclus?o adotado foi DAP ? 5 cm. Foram amostrados 309 indiv?duos de 77 esp?cies, 70 g?neros e 32 fam?lias. A ?rea basal total foi de 28,89 m2/ha e densidade de 966 ind./ha. Leguminosae, Meliaceae e Sapotaceae apresentaram os maiores valores de riqueza de esp?cies. O n?mero total de esp?cies amostradas foi compat?vel com forma??es assemelhadas do sudeste Brasileiro. As bordas apresentaram uma riqueza de esp?cies pr?xima ? das ?reas interioranas. Os di?metros m?dios variaram entre 32,9 cm e 36,2 cm nas bordas e 42,2 cm e 53,1cm nos interiores de floresta. Provavelmente, as bordas amostradas encontramse em est?gio de regenera??o natural, representando grupos sucessionais iniciais, distintos daqueles que ocorrem no interior da floresta. A n?o similaridade das ?reas, aferida com o uso do ?ndice de S?rensen mostrou que cada uma das ?reas ? constitu?da por conjuntos de esp?cies caracter?sticas. Estes resultados podem ser atribu?dos ?s diferentes orienta??es de encosta, situa??o geomorfol?gica e aos usos pret?ritos das ?reas.

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2017-10-06T18:22:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2008 - Flavia de Carvalho Dias.pdf: 1016485 bytes, checksum: c85fcc5f987d04ec4a9490cffdf1ebab (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-06T18:22:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008 - Flavia de Carvalho Dias.pdf: 1016485 bytes, checksum: c85fcc5f987d04ec4a9490cffdf1ebab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-25 / CNPq / The Atlantic Rain Forest is one of the world?s most endangered biomes. Long before its discovery by western civilization, the forest had already been occupied and used by native populations. The increasing occupation of this biome has generated landscapes composed of a mosaic of forests of different ages that resulted from its usage and that overlap in space and time. Remaining fragments are still subject to manmade impacts including edge effects. Based on these concepts, a study was conducted aiming at understanding the edge effects, on structure and composition, of two areas of Atlantic Rain Forest in the Pedra Branca State Park in Rio de Janeiro, RJ; one located in the valley basins (Ca?ambe river basin), and the other at the limit of the drainage (Grande river basin). At each area, were choosed two sites; one near to the edge and other over 100m from the edge (forest interior). The sites were: valley basin?s edge (Bfv), valley basin?s interior (Ifv), limit of the drainage?s edge (Bdd) and limit of the drainage?s interior (Idd). Changes caused by the existence of a edge, included the assess of a biotic edge effects, using for it changes in the species richness, individuals density, diameter and height. Individual trees and shrubs with diameter at breast height (dbh) > 5 cm were sampled within 32 plots of 10 x 10 m for a total sample size of 0.32 ha. The samples yielded 309 individuals of 77 species, 70 genera and 32 families. The total basal area was 28,89 m2/ha and density was 966 ind./ha. Leguminosae, Meliaceae e Sapotaceae were found to be the richest families. The number of total species is comparable to the referenced values for preserved forests, inventoried in the southeast. The edges species richness (Bfv and Ifv) similar to the interiors species richness (Ifv and Idd). Mean diameter varied form 32, 9 cm and 36,2 cm in the edges and 42,2 cm and 53,1 cm in the forests interiors. Probably, the sampled edges finds itself in a state of natural regeneration and represents an inicial successional state, different to the intermediary sucessional state in the interiors. The index of S?rensen between the four sites may occurs due to the different slope orientation, geomorphologic situation and land use history. / A Mata Atl?ntica ? um dos biomas mais amea?ados do mundo. Desde antes de sua descoberta pelo ocidente, a floresta j? era utilizada e apropriada por popula??es nativas. Com a intensifica??o da ocupa??o deste bioma, geraram-se paisagens compostas por mosaicos de florestas de diferentes idades, provenientes de usos diversos, que se sobrep?em no tempo e no espa?o. Os fragmentos remanescentes est?o ainda sujeitos a v?rios impactos antr?picos, tais como os efeitos de borda. Desta forma, procura-se analisar como a din?mica homem-natureza exerce suas influ?ncias na transforma??o da paisagem. Procurou-se compreender os efeitos de borda na estrutura e composi??o de duas ?reas de Mata Atl?ntica, localizadas no Parque Estadual de Pedra Branca na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, RJ; uma localizada no fundo de vale (bacia do rio Ca?ambe) e a outra no divisor de drenagem (bacia do rio Grande). Em cada ?rea de estudo, foram selecionados 2 s?tios amostrais; um adjacente ? borda e o outro distante a cerca de 100 metros da borda (interior de floresta). Os quatro s?tios amostrais foram denominados borda de fundo de vale (Bfv), interior de fundo de vale (Ifv), borda do divisor de drenagem (Bdd) e interior do divisor de drenagem (Idd). As mudan?as provocadas pela exist?ncia de uma borda envolveram avalia??es de efeitos biol?gicos, utilizando como ferramenta a riqueza de esp?cies, a densidade, estrutura diam?trica e de tamanho dos indiv?duos. Para a amostragem das ?reas, foram implantadas 32 parcelas, de 100 m? (0,32 ha), sendo que o crit?rio de inclus?o adotado foi DAP ? 5 cm. Foram amostrados 309 indiv?duos de 77 esp?cies, 70 g?neros e 32 fam?lias. A ?rea basal total foi de 28,89 m2/ha e densidade de 966 ind./ha. Leguminosae, Meliaceae e Sapotaceae apresentaram os maiores valores de riqueza de esp?cies. O n?mero total de esp?cies amostradas foi compat?vel com forma??es assemelhadas do sudeste Brasileiro. As bordas apresentaram uma riqueza de esp?cies pr?xima ? das ?reas interioranas. Os di?metros m?dios variaram entre 32,9 cm e 36,2 cm nas bordas e 42,2 cm e 53,1cm nos interiores de floresta. Provavelmente, as bordas amostradas encontram-se em est?gio de regenera??o natural, representando grupos sucessionais iniciais, distintos daqueles que ocorrem no interior da floresta. A n?o similaridade das ?reas, aferida com o uso do ?ndice de S?rensen mostrou que cada uma das ?reas ? constitu?da por conjuntos de esp?cies caracter?sticas. Estes resultados podem ser atribu?dos ?s diferentes orienta??es de encosta, situa??o geomorfol?gica e aos usos pret?ritos das ?reas.

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) are a species of conservation concern in the rangelands of western North America due to their dramatic decline over the last half century. Effective conservation and management of sensitive species requires an understanding of how species respond to management actions. We examined two aspects of the reproductive phases of sage-grouse: nest predation, and habitat selection by female sage-grouse with chicks. In Chapter 1, we developed resource selection functions to assess the influence of mechanical treatments of mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana) on habitat selection by greater sage-grouse with chicks. Post-treatment sage-grouse showed stronger selection for treatments and treatment edges than did pre-treatment sage-grouse. This altered pattern of selection by sage-grouse with broods suggests mechanical treatments may be a suitable way to increase use of mountain big sagebrush during the brooding period. In Chapter 2, we assessed the effect of habitat edges on nest predation of sage-grouse. The "edge effect" hypothesis states that habitat edges are associated with reduced nest success for birds. We tested the edge effect hypothesis using 155 nest locations from 114 sage-grouse. We derived edge metrics for 11 habitat cover types to determine which variables may have affected nest predation. We found support for the edge effect hypothesis in that nest predation increased with increasing edge density of paved roads. We provide evidence that the edge effect hypothesis may apply to greater sage-grouse and their habitats. Based on our results, we recommend minimizing disturbances that fragment critical nesting habitat of greater sage-grouse.

Aerodynamically rough surfaces of forests provide for efficient air/ canopy exchange of mass, heat and momentum. In that context, the effects of forest edges come into focus, and therefore, coastal-zone forests constitute aparticular concern. Aerosol-sink modelling is of importance to the global-scalecontext, because sink strengths influence the concentration of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, and that concentration, in turn, influences climate. Dry deposition models are insufficient due to a lack of semi-empirical data and because of difficulties in parameterization of the efficiency (E) with which leaves capture aerosols. Quantifications of such parameters promote possibilities for modelling aerosol-sink processes within various canopy layers. This thesis focuses on studies of sea-salt aerosol dry deposition within models of oak canopies exposed to artificially generated aerosols in a wind tunnel. The overall goal is to advance the understanding of deposition processes in forest ecosystems. Aims are to determine capture efficiencies and deposition velocities (Vd) for oak (Quercus robur L.), to investigate E and Vd dependence on aerosol particle size, wind velocity and vegetation structural elements such as Leaf Area Index (LAI), to explore edge effects on deposition, to relate my results to natural situations in the field, and to address modelling applications. This thesis is a result of five studies. The first study is based on developing awind tunnel approach with a main focus on establishing reference conditions.The next step is to quantify E and provide estimates of how E, with respect toa well defined mass-vs-particle-size distribution, varies with wind speed. To that end, a special wash-off technique is developed. Finally, edge effects ondeposition processes are investigated. Results demonstrate that forest ecosystems would experience substantially increased deposition at edges. The findings suggest that field measurements of deposition in the interior of a forest “island” in an otherwise open landscape would underestimate the deposition to the entire forest. Results clearly indicate needs for further research on the effects of LAI on capture efficiency and deposition velocity. The obtained capture efficiencies can be translated into deposition velocities for trees with a specific leaf area. An increase of Vd with increasing wind speed is found, and is consistent with other studies. Results confirm advantages of the wind tunnel approach, including its ability to enable experiments under controlled conditions. However, several problems require that explicit sub-models be developed of wind-speed dependent effects on leaf posture in the aerosol flow field and that gradients in relative humidity close to leaf surfaces need further attention. The results also propose needs for a range of further experimental investigations regarding aerosol deposition across the complete sea-to-land aerodynamic transition.

Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the major objectives in plantation forestry is to achieve a high level of homogeneity of distribution and dimension of trees within the stand. Precise planting geometries, intensive silviculture and genetic selection are used to achieve this homogeneity. However, a natural variability is still introduced by micro-­‐site conditions and disturbances. A substantial source of variation is caused by edge effects of neighbouring stands or other land use forms. The edge effect causes trees at the stand edge to develop differently from trees in the interior of the stand. The overarching objective of this study is to simulate the edge effect based on average stand interior variables as typically received from an enumeration and spatial information on the current and historic stand neighbourhood. With re-­‐introducing this natural variance as well as its spatial pattern, we expect to derive improved planning information. A major aim is thus separating the effect of the edge interaction from the other factors contributing to stand variance and quantifying the result in terms of stand output. A methodology is introduced for quantifying interaction at stand edges between a given stand and its neighbouring stands over its lifetime. Transferring the edge interaction value from the edges to all the trees within the stand is then done by applying inverse distance weighting interpolation from the edges to the tree position within the stand. Once an edge interaction value has been calculated for each point, the extent of the edge effect is quantified. The spatial extent of the edge effect is derived empirically from an existing fully spatially mapped stand by means of breakpoint regression. The expected variance as a result of edge influence is then quantified by producing a set of models, which can reproduce the effect of the edge interaction on tree height, diameter and volume. The edge effect is treated as a dynamic interaction for which the temporal aspect needs to be considered, because the current spatial structure of a stand is influenced by its current neighbourhood, but also by the historic development of the neighbourhood in relation to the stand in question. Each stand therefore undergoes an edge effect which is completely unique to that stand, within a given time period. For this reason the presented methodology is a spatial-­‐temporal one, aimed at providing a way in which growth and yield forest modelling can be augmented by the inclusion of the edge effect in a practical way. To explicitly quantify edge effects, the natural variance had to be separated into a component explained by edge effect and a second component introduced by other factors such as micro site conditions and disturbance. The second component is treated as an unexplained residual variance. In order to provide a realistic simulation of a stand output at a finer, tree level, this second stand variance needs nonetheless to be quantified. The variance attributable to factors other than the edge effect is mimicked by generating a random number by means of a parameterised stochastic process based on the variance of the inner stand region, which is beyond the reach of the edge effect. In this way, a realistic spatial pattern of a plantation forest stand, taking into account the edge effect and combining it with the natural stand variance is achieved. This study, within the field of plantation forest management, aspires to land use optimization both in terms of productive capacity estimation and for the provision of information for effective land use management planning. It makes use of open source software resources namely the R framework and QGIS and explores aerial stereophotogrammetry as an option for data collection. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die hoofdoelwitte in plantasie bosbou praktyk is hoё vlakke van homogeniteit met betrekking tot die verspreiding en die dimensies van die bome in die plantasie opstand. Simetriese aanplantings, intensiewe bosboupraktyk en genetiese seleksie word gebruik om hierdie homogeniteit te verkry. Natuurlike verskille word egter nog steeds gevind as gevolg van groeiplek mikro toestande en ander versteurings in die opstand. Een van die hoofbronne van hierdie variasie is die randeffekte van buurplantasies en ander gebruike van grond. Hierdie randeffekte veroorsaak dat bome aan die rand van die opstand anders ontwikkel as die bome binne in die opstand. Die oorhoofse doelwit met hierdie navorsing is om die randeffekte te simuleer. Hierdie randeffekte is gegrond op die gemiddelde binneopstand boom veranderlikes soos afgelei uit die opmeting en uit ruimtelike inligting oor die huidige en geskiedkundige toestande in die omgewing. As hierdie natuurlike variasies asook die ruimtelike patrone weer in berekening gebring word, verwag ons om beter beplanningsinligting te bekom. ’n Belangrike doelwit tydens hierdie navorsing is dus om die effek van die rand-­‐interaksie te skei van die effek van ander faktore wat bydra tot variasies binne-­‐in die opstand en om die resultaat in terme van plantasie produksie te kwantifiseer. ’n Metodiek word voorgestel vir die kwantifisering van die interaksie op die rande tussen die opstand en die buuropstande tydens die leeftyd van die opstand. Die oorplasing van die rand interaksie waarde van die rand af na al die bome in die plantasie word dan gedoen deur om geweegde inverse afstand interpolasie vanaf die rand tot by die ligging van die boom, toe te pas. As die rand interaksie waarde vir elke punt bereken is, kan die omvang van die randeffek gekwantifiseer word. Die ruimtelike omvang van die rand effek is, met die gebruik van breekpunt regressie, empiries afgelei van ’n bestaande ten volle karteerde plantasie. Die verwagte variasie as gevolg van die randeffek word dan met die gebruik van ’n stel modelle gekwantifiseer, wat dan die effek van die rand interaksie op boomhoogte, deursnit en volume kan weergee. Die randeffek word as ’n dinamiese interaksie beskou waarvan die tydsaspek in ag geneem moet word, want die huidige ruimtelike struktuur van die plantasie word beïnvloed deur die huidige omgewing asook deur die historiese ontwikkeling van die omgewing met betrekking tot die opstand onder bespreking. Elke opstand ondergaan ’n randeffek wat uniek is aan daardie plantasie op die gegewe tydstip. Die doelwit is om ’n wyse te vind waarvolgens groei-­‐en-­‐opbrengs plantasie modellering deur die insluiting van randeffek op ’n praktiese wyse, aangevul kan word. Om hierdie rede is die aanbevole metodiek ruimtelik-­‐tydelik en gerig daarop om ’n wyse te vind waarvolgens groei-­‐en-­‐opbrengs modellering deur die insluiting van die randeffek, op ’n praktiese wyse aangevul kan word. Om randeffek eksplisiet te kwantifiseer, moes die natuurlike afwyking gedeel word in die komponent wat die gevolg is van die randeffek, en ’n tweede komponent wat die gevolg is van ander faktore soos mikroligging toestande en versteurings. Die tweede komponent word behandel as ’n onverklaarde oorblywende afwyking. Hierdie tweede plantasie afwyking moet nogtans kwantifiseer word om sodoende ’n realistiese simulasie van plantasie opbrengs op ’n fyner boom vlak te verkry. Die afwyking wat toegeskryf kan word aan faktore buiten die randeffek, word nageboots deur om ’n lukrake nommer (wat gebaseer word op die afwyking van die binne-­‐plantasie gebied wat buite die strekwydte van die randeffek is) deur middel van ‘n geparameteriseerde stogastiese proses te genereer. Sodoende word ’n realistiese ruimtelike patroon van ’n plantasie opstand verkry, wat die randeffek in ag neem en dit kombineer met die natuurlike plantasie afwyking.