Biogeographical relationships between landscape patterns, some local abiotic factors and vegetation of forest edges (Czech Republic)

Abstract

Forest edges consist of specific ecotone plant associations. Their species composition reflects conditions within the local environment and the character of the surrounding landscape, as well as the history of the given area. This article aims to ascertain the importance of local conditions and the characteristics of the surrounding landscape on the species composition. The results show that the species composition of forest edges is adversely influenced by agricultural use of the surrounding landscape and differs according to the north-south gradient of aspect. In terms of their species composition, forest edges represent important refuges of certain plant species that have already disappeared from the surrounding landscape.