Quantifying the effects of road width on roadside vegetation and soil conditions in forests

Author:

Zhou TingORCID,Luo Xiaoying,Hou Yuping,Xiang Yanci,Peng Shaolin

Abstract

Abstract Context The majority of ecological studies of roads have focused on their deleterious effects, and these preconceptions have hampered a full evaluation of the ecological functions of roads. As an integrated indicator, road width represents comprehensive effects, including anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Objectives We try to explore the different effects produced by various road widths by considering changes in forest vegetation and soil. Methods We selected six study forests spanning from Shandong Province in the north to Guangdong Province in the south of China, and we assessed the influences of wide and narrow roads on plant species diversity, biomass, and soil properties along transects running from the forest edges and adjacent forest interior. We used a “shape-dependent model” to explain the factors that determine the magnitude of road effects on forests. Results Three variables measured in this study changed significantly with increasing distance from the road to the forest interior along wide roads: tree biomass, herbaceous plant biomass, and soil pH. However, no measurable biological or environmental effects were found from narrow roads. The different shapes of glades in a forest may be one reason for the various effects caused by roads of different widths. Conclusions Forest roads of different widths may have quite different ecological effects. While wider roads with large glades tend to have substantial negative impacts, small-enough roads may cause little disturbance to the forest. This suggests that not all forest roads should be perceived as the same, and narrow roads may be compatible with forest conservation.

Funder

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Pearl River S and T Nova Program of Guangzhou

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Subject

Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecology,Geography, Planning and Development

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