DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vt4b8gtnx
title: Ecosystem functions in natural and anthropogenic ecosystems across the East African coastal forest landscape

description: Habitat identity and landscape configuration significantly shape species
 communities and affect ecosystem functions. The conservation of natural
 ecosystems is of particular relevance in regions where landscapes have
 already been largely transformed into farmland and where habitats suffer
 under resource exploitation. The spill-over of ecosystem functions from
 natural ecosystems into farmland may positively influence agricultural
 productivity and human livelihood quality. We measured three proxies of
 ecosystem functioning: Pollinator diversity (using pan traps), seed
 dispersal (a seed removal experiment), and predation (using dummy
 caterpillars). We assessed these ecosystem functions in three forest types
 of the East African dry coastal forest (Brachystegia forest, Cynometra
 forest, mixed forest), as well as in adjoining farmland and in plantations
 of exotic trees (Eucalyptus mainly). We measured ecosystem functions at 20
 plots for each habitat type, and along gradients ranging from the forest
 into farmland. We also recorded various environmental parameters for each
 study plot. We did not find significant differences of ecosystem functions
 when combining all proxies assessed, neither among the three natural
 forest types, nor between natural forest and plantations. However, we
 found trends for single ecosystem functions. We identified highest
 pollinator diversity along the forest margin and in farmlands. Vegetation
 cover and blossom density affected the level of predation positively.
 Based on our findings we suggest that flowering gardens around housings
 and woodlots across farmland areas support ecosystem functioning, and thus
 improve human livelihood quality. We conclude that levels of overall
 ecosystem functions are affected by entire landscapes, and high landscape
 heterogeneity, as found in our case, might blur potential negative effects
 and trends arising from habitat destruction and degradation.
description: We established 20 study plots in each of the habitat types (the
 three forest types, plantations and agricultural land). Plots were set
 with a minimum distance of 300m among each other to avoid potential
 spatial autocorrelations. We established 20 forest-farmland-gradients with
 9 plots along each gradient (in total 180 study plots along gradients).
 These gradients covered natural mixed forest, the forest margin, and
 adjoining farmland. Gradients were set perpendicularly to the border of
 the forest. For each gradient we established two study plots inside the
 forest (256m and 8m distant from forest edge), at the forest border (0m),
 and six study plots in agricultural land (with 8m, 16m, 32m, 64m, 128m,
 and 256m distant from forest edge, using a logarithmic scale). We measured
 proxies of three ecosystem functions: Pollinator abundance, predation and
 seed dispersal. These ecosystem functions are interpreted to be of high
 relevance to agro-ecosystem functioning. We measured these proxies
 following the Rapid Ecosystem Function Assessment approach.