The Effects of Roads on Vegetation Keaton Averill Vegetation Ecology 2018 Background Roads can often times result in fragmentation and loss of habitat species of an area Johnston and Johnston 2004 ID: 769357
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "The Effects of Roads on Vegetation" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
The Effects of Roads on Vegetation Keaton Averill Vegetation Ecology 2018
Background Roads can often times result in fragmentation and loss of habitat species of an area. (Johnston and Johnston 2004) Road construction can be done with leaving a small impact on the environment afterwards. (Caliskan 2013)
Problem Question of Interest: Does the construction of roads affect the structure of vegetation of a region? How do roads affect the overall quality of an ecosystem? Including ground vegetation and soils. Null Hypothesis: Constructing roads in new (subalpine) regions will not show significant changes in vegetation frequency and soil texture.Alternative Hypothesis: Constructing roads in new (subalpine) regions will show significant changes in vegetation frequency and soil texture. Predictions:Decrease in vegetation frequencyChanges in soil composition
Methods Three independent sites were tested Subalpine Region #1 Rainbow LakesBrainard LakePoint Quarter, Daubenmire Plot, and Soil 2- Factor ANOVA Close/Far and Uphill/Downhill Mean DistanceAbsolute Basal Area
Methods
Average Absolute Basal Area p= about 0.4855 → 2-Factor ANOVA p= about 0.3217 → 2-Factor ANOVA
Average Mean Distance p= about 0.6746 → 2-Factor ANOVA p= about 0.1224 → 2-Factor ANOVA
Soil Results Uphill slopes → Sandy Loam Downhill slopes→ Silty Clay Loam Why the trend?
Discussion Hypothesis: Constructing roads in new (subalpine) regions, may lead to changes in vegetation frequency and soil texture. Predictions: Decrease in vegetation frequencyChange in soil composition My results do not support my hypothesis
Conclusion Results from the research are inconclusive Does not mean that there won’t be a significant change in vegetation structure with the presence of roads. Further research would improve the quality of the study.Before & After More samples and locations
Cites Johnston, F and S, Johnston. 2004. Impacts of Road Disturbance on Soil Properties and on Exotic Plant Occurrence in Subalpine Areas of the Australian Alps. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 36(2):201-207.http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1657/1523-0430%282004%29036%5B0201%3AIORDOS%5D2.0.CO%3B2 Caliskan, E. 2013. Environmental impacts of forest road construction on mountainous terrain. Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 10(1):23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3627898/ Marzen, M, Thomas Ishloh, Joao L.M.P. del Lima, Wolfgang Fister and Johannes B. Ries. 2017. Impact of severe rain storms on soil erosion: Experimental evaluation of wind-driven rain and its implications for natural hazard management. Science the Total Environment 590-591:502-513. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969717304461 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3627898/ (pic)