A influência do efeito de borda na taxa de herbivoria em fragmento florestal de Caatinga, na Serra de Santa Catarina-PB.

Abstract

Forest fragmentation is one of the most important causes of the biological diversity loss, because inside fragment forest occur biotic and abiotic changes known as edge effect. This work sought to understand how the edge effect influences the rate of herbivory in the edge areas of the Caatinga forest. This study was developed in the Mountain Range of Santa Catarina- PB, Brazil. Collections covered dry and rainy season and were carried out in an area of 1000 m² of edge and deep forest fragment areas. On each sampled area were removed five leaves of each plant sampled. When were comparing the rates of herbivory between different environments and seasons it was conclude that edge areas has highest herbivory rate compared with deep forest areas. The major rate of herbivory was observed in the rainy period. Analyzing together seasonality and local of sampled it was found significant difference, with highest herbivory rate on deep fragment areas in the rainy season. As for plant diversity, edge environments have a higher diversity compared to forest interior . Our study reinforces the hypothesis that edge forest tends to present higher rate of herbivory when compared to its interiors.