Support for the habitat amount hypothesis from a global synthesis of species density studies

Decades of research suggest that species richness depends on spatial characteristics of habitat patches, especially their size and isolation. In contrast, the habitat amount hypothesis predicts that (1) species richness in plots of fixed size (species density) is more strongly and positively related to the amount of habitat around the plot than to patch size or isolation; (2) habitat amount better predicts species density than patch size and isolation combined, (3) there is no effect of habitat fragmentation per se on species density and (4) patch size and isolation effects do not become stronger with declining habitat amount. Data on eight taxonomic groups from 35 studies around the world support these predictions. Conserving species density requires minimising habitat loss, irrespective of the configuration of the patches in which that habitat is contained.     

Larger patches of diverse floral resources increase insect pollinator density,diversity, and their pollination of native wildflowers

Native wildflower plantings can be used to provide nutritional resources to support pollinating insects, yet the effects of planting size and bloom richness on the density, diversity, and function of these insects are not well understood. We established stands of twelve native flowering perennial plant species in replicated plots ranging in size from 1 to 100 m². These plots were sampled for insect pollinators, bloom richness, and seed production by three wildflower species. Honeybees, wild bees, and hoverflies all responded positively to increasing flower richness, whereas particular insect pollinator groups responded differently to the size of the flowering plant area. The density of honeybees and hoverflies was not affected by increasing flowering patch size, whereas in general, wild bees were observed at higher density and diversity in the 30 and 100 m² patches. Increasing wildflower patch size, and thus wild bee density, resulted in greater seed set in the sampled wildflowers. These results indicate that wild bees are sensitive to the area and richness of floral resources in patches, even at relatively small scales. Therefore, larger wildflower plantings with more diverse flower species mixes are more suitable for the conservation of wild pollinators and reproduction of sown species.     

Ant community patterns in highly fragmented Chaco forests of central Argentina

The Chaco is the largest dry forest biome in South America and one of the regions most threatened by agricultural intensification. As a consequence, in several areas Chaco forests persist as forest remnants of different sizes embedded in an agricultural matrix. Ants are social insects that have key roles in ecosystem functioning, and the effects of this ongoing land use change process on ant communities are little known for this region. In the present study, we assessed the consequences of land use replacement by monocultures and forest fragmentation on ant communities. Particularly, we assessed whether patch size, patch isolation and edge effect affect species richness and composition of ground‐dwelling ants in fragmented landscapes of Chaco forests. We collected ants by combining hand collecting and pitfall traps in 17 forest fragments and the surrounding matrix from two sites in Córdoba, Argentina. Patch size and patch isolation had no effect on ant richness; however, patch isolation and, to a lesser extent, patch size altered ant species composition. The ant community was not affected by edge but it was negatively affected by the crop matrix, which reduced richness and altered species composition. These results indicate that monoculture matrices severely affect ant communities in the Chaco forests, and that the effects of other indicators of habitat fragmentation (patch size and edge effect) are subtler and less relevant. In the present context of land use change, even small fragments could have an important value for the conservation of ant diversity.     

Patch size drives colonization by aquatic insects,with minor priority effects of a cohabitant

Patch size is one of the most important factors affecting the distribution and abundance of species, and recent research has shown that patch size is an important niche dimension affecting community structure in aquatic insects. Building on this result, we examined the impact of patch size in conjunction with presence of larval anurans on colonization by aquatic insects. Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope''s gray treefrog) larvae are abundant and early colonists in fishless lentic habitats, and these larvae can fill multiple ecological roles. By establishing larvae in mesocosms prior to colonization, we were able to assess whether H. chrysoscelis larvae have priority effects on aquatic insect assemblages. We conducted a series of three experiments in naturally colonized experimental landscapes to test whether (1) H. chrysoscelis larval density affects insect colonization, (2) variation in patch size affects insect colonization, and (3) the presence and larval density of H. chrysoscelis shift colonization of insects between patches of different size. Larval density independently had almost no effect on colonization, while patch size had species‐specific effects consistent with prior work. When larvae and patch size were tested in conjunction, patch size had numerous, often strong, species‐specific effects on colonization; larval density had effects largely limited to the assemblages of colonizing beetles and water bugs, with few effects on individual species. Higher larval densities in large mesocosms shifted some insect colonization to smaller patches, resulting in higher beta diversity among small patches in proximity to high density large mesocosms. This indicates establishing H. chrysoscelis larvae prior to insect colonization can likely create priority effects that slightly shape insect communities. Our results support the importance of patch size in studying species abundances and distributions and also indicate that colonization order plays an important role in determining the communities found within habitat patches.     

Diversity and guild structure of insect assemblages under grazing and exclusion regimes in a montane grassland from Central Argentina

The effects of grazing disturbance on insect communities were examined at a montane grassland in Central Argentina, by comparing two grazed sites differing in cattle load (heavy and continuous or moderate and discontinuous) and two cattle exclusions differing in age (7 and 19 years). Two aspects of insect diversity (taxonomic and guild structure) and two levels of taxonomic resolution (family and species) were considered. Four monthly samples were taken with a suction sampler in two 1 m² areas at each site. Collected specimens were counted, identified to family (all insects) or species (Coleoptera) level, and allocated to trophic guilds. Abundance, richness, diversity and biomass of the insect assemblages had minimum values in the most intensely grazed habitat, which also differed from the other sites in terms of insect families and Coleoptera species composition. It also showed a distinct guild structure, with fewer secondary consumers, and chewers replacing suckers as the most abundant herbivore group. According to these observations, intense grazing in montane grasslands in Central Argentina could result in taxonomic and guild changes in the associated insect communities, but such effects would not be noticeable with less intensive use. Moreover, using family taxonomic level could be as or even more appropriate than species level in order to characterize insect communities in the studied habitats under varying disturbance regimes.     

Detecting flying insects using car nets and DNA metabarcoding

Monitoring insects across space and time is challenging, due to their vast taxonomic and functional diversity. This study demonstrates how nets mounted on rooftops of cars (car nets) and DNA metabarcoding can be applied to sample flying insect richness and diversity across large spatial scales within a limited time period. During June 2018, 365 car net samples were collected by 151 volunteers during two daily time intervals on 218 routes in Denmark. Insect bulk samples were processed with a DNA metabarcoding protocol to estimate taxonomic composition, and the results were compared to known flying insect richness and occurrence data. Insect and hoverfly richness and diversity were assessed across biogeographic regions and dominant land cover types. We detected 15 out of 19 flying insect orders present in Denmark, with high proportions of especially Diptera compared to Danish estimates, and lower insect richness and diversity in urbanized areas. We detected 319 species not known for Denmark and 174 species assessed in the Danish Red List. Our results indicate that the methodology can assess the flying insect fauna at large spatial scales to a wide extent, but may be, like other methods, biased towards certain insect orders.     

Conservation of vascular plants in single large and several small mires: species richness, rarity and taxonomic diversity

1. This study on vascular plant species of boreal spruce and pine mires concentrated on two geometrical principles: whether single large or several small (SLOSS) reserves contain more species and whether patch shape should be as nearly circular as possible.
2. SLOSS and patch shape have usually been tested by using species richness. Only a few studies have taken the rarity of species into account, and taxonomic diversity has never been used. In our study, all three of these factors were used.
3. Our results showed that the number of species was not related to the spruce mire size, but it increased in relation to the pine mire size. In contrast, the rarity score increased in relation to the area of spruce mires, but it was not related to the area of pine mires. Taxonomic diversity was not related to size in the case of spruce mires, but it increased with pine mires.
4. The SLOSS comparison showed that several small mires contained more vascular plant species than a large one of equal size. Several small mires also had higher rarity scores and taxonomic diversity than a single large mire. The number of species, rarity score and taxonomic diversity increased in relation to the number of small mires in a group. The same results were obtained with both spruce and pine mires.
5. Species richness, rarity score and taxonomic diversity were not related to mire shape. The results did not depend on the mire type.     

Bird and insect pollinators differ in specialization and potential pollination services along disturbance and resource gradients

Combined studies of the communities and interaction networks of bird and insect pollinators are rare, especially along environmental gradients. Here, we determined how disturbance by fire and variation in sugar resources shape pollinator communities and interactions between plants and their pollinating insects and birds. We recorded insect and bird visits to 21 Protea species across 21 study sites and for 2 years in Fynbos ecosystems in the Western Cape, South Africa. We recorded morphological traits of all pollinator species (41 insect and nine bird species). For each site, we obtained estimates of the time since the last fire (range: 2–25 calendar years) and the Protea nectar sugar amount per hectare (range: 74–62 000 g/ha). We tested how post-fire age and sugar amount influence the total interaction frequency, species richness and functional diversity of pollinator communities, as well as pollinator specialization (the effective number of plant partners) and potential pollination services (pollination service index) of insects and birds. We found little variation in the total interaction frequency, species richness and functional diversity of insect and bird pollinator communities, but insect species richness increased with post-fire age. Pollinator specialization and potential pollination services of insects and birds varied differently along the environmental gradients. Bird pollinators visited fewer Protea species at sites with high sugar amount, while there was no such trend for insects. Potential pollination services of insect pollinators to Protea species decreased with increasing post-fire age and resource amounts, whereas potential pollination services of birds remained constant along the environmental gradients. Despite little changes in pollinator communities, our analyses reveal that insect and bird pollinators differ in their specialization on Protea species and show distinct responses to disturbance and resource gradients. Our comparative study of bird and insect pollinators demonstrates that birds may be able to provide more stable pollination services than insects.     

Effects of habitat fragmentation on the functional diversity of insects in Thousand Island Lake,China

Due to habitat fragmentation, the loss of species diversity has been extensively studied. On the contrary, the effects of habitat fragmentation on functional diversity is still poorly understood. In the Thousand Island Lake, we conducted studies of insect functional diversity on a set of 29 isolated islands. We used 10 functional diversity indices from three aspects (functional richness, functional evenness and functional divergence) to respectively describe functional diversity of insects on sample islands. We found the following results: (i) The functional indices selected could reflect the functional diversity of sample islands and it is further proved that in general, three components of functional diversity were independent of each other; (ii) Sample islands could be divided into two categories, island JSD and the remaining islands; (iii) Functional richness increased with island area and shape index, but had no significant correlation with isolation. Likewise, both functional evenness and functional divergence had no significant correlation with island attributes. The conclusion to emphasize from our research is that: (i) habitat fragmentation reduced the biological functional diversity to some extent, further demonstrating the importance of habitat continuity in biodiversity protection; and (ii) for functional diversity protection of insects in a fragmented landscape, an island which has high approximate shape index values of at least hundred hectare magnitude order has a critical promoting effect.     

Scale‐dependent determinants of plant species richness in a semi‐arid fragmented agro‐ecosystem

Aims: (1) Understanding how the relationship between species richness and its determinants depends on the interaction between scales at which the response and explanatory variables are measured. (2) Quantifying the relative contributions of local, intermediate and large‐scale determinants of species richness in a fragmented agro‐ecosystem. (3) Testing the hypothesis that the relative contribution of these determinants varies with the grain size at which species richness is measured. Location: A fragmented agro‐ecosystem in the Southern Judea Lowland, Israel, within a desert–Mediterranean transition zone. Methods: Plant species richness was estimated using hierarchical nested sampling in 81 plots, positioned in 38 natural vegetation patches within an agricultural matrix (mainly wheat fields) among three land units along a sharp precipitation gradient. Explanatory variables included position along that gradient, patch area, patch isolation, habitat heterogeneity and overall plant density. We used general linear models and hierarchical partitioning of variance to test and quantify the effect of each explanatory variable on species richness at four grain sizes (0.0625, 1, 25 and 225 m²). Results: Species richness was mainly affected by position along a precipitation gradient and overall plant density, and to a lesser extent by habitat heterogeneity. It was also significantly affected by patch area and patch isolation, but only for small grain sizes. The contribution of each explanatory variable to explained variance in species richness varied with grain size, i.e. scale‐dependent. The influence of geographic position and habitat heterogeneity on species richness increased with grain size, while the influence of plant density decreased with grain size. Main conclusions: Species richness is determined by the combined effect of several scale‐dependent determinants. Ability to detect an effect and effect size of each determinant varies with the scale (grain size) at which it is measured. The combination of a multi‐factorial approach and multi‐scale sampling reveals that conclusions drawn from studies that ignore these dimensions are restricted and potentially misleading.     

Patterns of invertebrate density and taxonomic richness across gradients of area,isolation, and vegetation diversity in a lake‐island system

Over the past half century, ecologists have tried to unravel the factors that drive species richness patterns in ecological communities. One influential theory is island biogeography theory (IBT), which predicts that island or habitat area and isolation are drivers of species richness. However, relatively few studies testing IBT have considered invertebrate or belowground communities, and it is unclear as to whether the predictions made by IBT hold for these communities. Other theories predict that habitat characteristics such as vegetation diversity may be important drivers of invertebrate species richness. To investigate patterns of invertebrate density and species richness across gradients of area, isolation, and vegetation diversity, we used a system of 30 lake islands in the boreal zone of northern Sweden. We assessed density and taxonomic richness of ground‐dwelling spiders, web‐building spiders, beetles, collembolans, mites, and nematodes, for all islands during two consecutive summers. For all invertebrate groups, both density and taxonomic richness were either neutrally or negatively related to island size, and either neutrally or positively related to island isolation. Meanwhile the density and taxonomic richness for several groups was positively related to vegetation diversity (i.e. habitat heterogeneity). In multiple regression analyses, island size was often the single best predictor for both invertebrate density and taxonomic richness, but in some cases island size and isolation in combination explained more variation than each factor considered singly. Contrary to IBT predictions, invertebrate density and richness was never positively related to island size or negatively related to island isolation. Instead, our results suggest that plant diversity (and thus habitat heterogeneity) was the main driver of the patterns that we found, although other factors could have some influence. We conclude that several factors, but not necessarily those predicted as important by IBT, are important in determining invertebrate abundance and species richness in island systems.     

Different responses of plants and herbivore insects to a gradient of vegetation height: an indicator of the vertebrate grazing intensity and successional age

Empirical studies have suggested that species richness of grassland insects usually decreases under grazing management. By contrast, grazing has been shown to increase the species density and richness of vascular plants, especially on productive soils. In order to test the suggested differences in response to management between plants and insects, we simultaneously studied species richness of vascular plants and their insect herbivores, butterflies and moths, in 68 semi-natural grasslands with varying grazing intensity and frequency in SW Finland. Species richness of plants and insects was for the first time related to a quantitative measure of disturbance intensity and successional age, mean vegetation height, by using generalized additive models (GAM). The effects of soil nutrients on vegetation height were accounted for by using phosphorus concentration as a productivity surrogate.
The results showed that species richness of butterflies and moths peaked in taller vegetation compared with vascular plants, corresponding to a lower disturbance intensity and increasing time since abandonment. These patterns are discussed in the light of two hypotheses, the "structural diversity hypothesis" and "dynamic equilibrium model" of Huston, both suggesting a weaker disturbance tolerance of insects compared with plants. Butterflies and moths which are specialists in their larval host-plant use (monophagous and oligophagous species) preferred lower vegetation (higher disturbances) compared with generalists (polyphagous species), as predicted by Huston's model. This difference indicates a stronger relationship with plant species richness for specialist than for generalist butterflies and moths. Our results support the application of regionally and temporally varying grazing intensities in grassland conservation management.     

Insect diversity in Cape fynbos and neighbouring South African vegetation

Aim  It has often been suggested that South Africa's Cape fynbos shrublands, although extremely rich in plant species, are poor in insects, thus representing a notable exception from the broad plant–insect diversity relationship. The aims of this study were to compare the diversity patterns of plant-inhabiting insects in fynbos and the vegetation of three neighbouring biomes (grassland, subtropical thicket, and Nama-karoo), and to test for a general relationship between plant diversity and insect diversity across these biomes.
Location  South-western to south-eastern South Africa.
Methods  We conducted seasonal plant surveys and sweep insect sampling in 10 × 10 m plots in the Baviaanskloof Conservation Area (Eastern Cape), where all four biomes occur. We also conducted once-only collections in the core area of each biome.
Results  Fynbos plots had insect diversity values similar to those of grassland and subtropical thicket (a dense, evergreen and spinescent shrubland with a high abundance of succulents and climbers), and significantly higher than Nama-karoo (an open, semiarid shrubland). A remarkably strong positive relationship was found between plant and insect species richness.
Main conclusions  Previous generalizations were based on a few insect groups (e.g. butterflies, under-represented in fynbos), but ignored published results on other groups (e.g. galling insects, which are in fact over-represented in this vegetation). We show that, overall, insect diversity in fynbos is comparable to that of neighbouring biomes. Fynbos vegetation does not represent a significant exception from the broad positive relationship between plant diversity and insect diversity.     

三江平原残存湿地斑块特征及其对物种多样性的影响

景观破碎化是当前一个突出的生态学问题,破碎斑块的大小和形状特征对物种多样性具有重要影响。选取三江平原别拉洪河流域为研究区,通过调查残存湿地斑块的面积、形状和植物物种丰富度,利用相关分析和回归分析等方法研究了残存湿地斑块特征及其对物种多样性的影响。研究结果表明:在强烈的人为活动干扰下,三江平原湿地破碎化严重,残存湿地斑块面积较小,斑块形状规则、边界简单。斑块形状指数、分维数、形状特征点数和斑块面积、物种丰富度均没有显著相关关系,而斑块面积、周长和周长面积比对物种丰富度具有显著影响。但是斑块周长和周长面积比均受面积的直接影响,所以斑块面积是决定物种丰富度的主要因素,这点需在湿地生物多样性保护中予以重视。虽然斑块形状特征点数是农业景观物种丰富度的一个很好预测指标,但是该指标不适用于形状规则的残存湿地斑块物种丰富度预测。另外,对于残存湿地斑块种-面积关系的机理还有待进一步研究。     

Chromosome numbers of five Turkish Centaurea L. (Asteraceae) species

Abstract

We analysed the effects of patch configuration and site history on vascular plants in ancient forests of the Eastern Po Plain, documented back to 1740. Despite their reduced size, all the forests are part of Natura 2000 Network and significantly contribute to the maintenance of a threatened habitat and support biological diversity of the Continental biogeographic region. The presence of some functional ecological plant species groups was correlated with patch configuration and age. Habitat quality, in terms of suitability for forest species, was found to be important in explaining the presence of species of high conservation value, but patch age (as an indicator for habitat quality) played a major role too. For core forest species, patch area is a redundant variable in explaining species richness relative to habitat quality and patch age and the extinction of specialists seems to occur mainly in a deterministic way. Even small forest fragments can be very important for maintaining plant species diversity, at least if they are of high habitat quality and if the forest management is appropriate. However, to achieve a long term conservation, management plans should also aim at an improvement of the anthropogenic matrix surrounding forest remnants.     

Indirect effects of grazing intensity on pollinators and floral visitation

1. The introduction of livestock in natural areas is a common disturbance that affects both plant and pollinator diversity and might affect their interaction. Understanding whether livestock affect a food resource for pollinators (i.e. flower abundance) and/or a pollinator assemblage (i.e. abundance and richness) has important implications for plant–pollinator interactions and still needs deeper investigation. 2. This study investigated how pollinator communities and flower abundance determined floral visitation frequency along a grazing gradient, using seven large paddocks in Patagonian Monte Desert that varied in livestock densities. Pollinator visitation frequency was measured in five of the most abundant native plant species of the region, present in all the paddocks, but that differed in reproductive strategy ranging from insect‐pollinated self‐compatible and self‐incompatible to wind‐pollinated. The influence of livestock density, insect, and flower abundance on visitation frequency was evaluated using D‐separation hierarchical path models. 3. Intermediate stocking densities showed the highest insect richness and abundance. Livestock density showed a negative quadratic relationship with insect richness; hymenopterans being the main insect group in the region. Flower density decreased with the increase in livestock density. The five plant species shared several pollinator species although each one supported a distinct assemblage. 4. The path model showed that livestock was not directly associated with pollinator visitation frequency; however, this apparent lack of association was as a result of opposite forces acting together. An increase in livestock density reduced visitation frequency through a decrease in insect abundance, yet, livestock simultaneously increased the pollinator visitation rate through decreased flower abundance. 5. This study describes how changes in the density of exotic mammals can affect pollinator and flower abundance, resulting in contrasting effects on flower visitation rates with, apparently, neutral net consequences. This illustrates the complexity of responses to plant–pollinator interactions to anthropogenic disturbances that alter the ecological context.     

Cascading Ecological Responses to an In‐Stream Restoration Project in a Midwestern River

River restoration projects are increasingly common, but assessments of ecological responses and overall success of the vast majority of efforts are lacking. Information on potential positive ecological effects of restoration efforts can be used to justify further projects and refine methods. We examined responses of multiple trophic levels, aquatic insects and riparian birds, to a series of rock weirs installed in an Illinois river to stabilize the channel. We quantified adult insect emergence and performed weekly point counts of birds in spring at four weir and four non‐weir (control) sites. Emerging insect abundance was higher at control sites, but species richness and diversity were higher at weir sites. Total insect emergence production did not differ between site types, but emergence production of larger‐bodied taxa was higher at weir sites. Ordinations and analysis of similarity indicated differences in insect and bird assemblages between site types. Birds showed a positive numerical response to large‐bodied emerging insects, and total bird abundance was higher at weir sites. Clutch size and feeding rates of a focal bird species, Prothonotaria citrea (Prothonotary Warbler), did not differ between sites, but the number of hatchlings and fledglings was higher at control sites. Molothrus ater (cowbird) parasitism was higher at weir sites, likely because of increased edge habitat associated with weir construction activities. Results show positive ecological impacts of in‐stream restoration and provide justification for further efforts. However, forest disturbance associated with construction could offset some benefits to some species, and thus refinements to procedures may be necessary.     

The effect of the taxon and geographic range size of host eucalypt species on the species richness of gall-forming insects

Abstract This field study was designed to test whether the taxonomic group and geographic range size of a host plant species, usually found to influence insect species richness in other parts of the world, affected the number of gall species on Australian eucalypts. We assessed the local and regional species richness of gall-forming insects on five pairs of closely related eucalypt species. One pair belonged to the subgenus Corymbia, one to Monocalyptus, and three to different sections of Symphyomyrtus. Each eucalypt pair comprised a large and a small geographic range species. Species pairs were from coastal or inland regions of eastern Australia. The total number of gall species on eucalypt species with large geographic ranges was greater than on eucalypt species with small ranges, but only after the strong effect of eucalypt taxonomic grouping was taken into account. There was no relationship between the geographic range size of eucalypt species and the size of local assemblages of gall species, but the variation in insect species composition between local sites was higher on eucalypt species with large ranges than on those with small ranges. Thus the effect of host plant range size on insect species richness was due to greater differentiation between more widespread locations, rather than to greater local species richness. This study confirms the role of the geographic range size of a host plant in the determination of insect species richness and provides evidence for the importance of the taxon of a host plant.     

Leaving uncut refuges during meadow harvesting increases the functional diversity of Orthoptera

In the past, insect species richness was high in Central European seminatural grasslands, which were characterized by low‐intensity land use. Currently, however, the hay in most of these grasslands is mechanically harvested, which negatively impacts insect biodiversity. One way to reduce this negative effect is to leave unmown patches as refuges. In the current research we evaluated the short‐term effects of leaving an unmown patch on the taxonomic and functional diversity of the Orthoptera assemblage in a meadow. We found that orthopteran species richness and abundance were significantly reduced by mowing, whether or not a patch was left uncut. In contrast, functional evenness, indicating distribution of species abundances in a niche space, was reduced by mowing only if the plot lacked an uncut refuge. Functional richness, indicating the amount of niche space occupied by species, was elevated if the plot had an uncut refuge. Larger species were negatively affected by mowing, while habitat specialists, mobile species and soil‐ovipositing species benefitted from it. We infer that the presence of an uncut patch increased the diversity of habitats available to orthopterans and maintained even distribution of species among niche space. In summary, leaving an unmown refuge in grasslands could increase the functional diversity of orthopterans, even if it does not preserve taxonomic diversity.     

The effect of altitude,patch size and disturbance on species richness and density of lianas in montane forest patches

The species richness and density of lianas (woody vines) in tropical forests is determined by various abiotic and biotic factors. Factors such as altitude, forest patch size and the degree of forest disturbance are known to exert strong influences on liana species richness and density. We investigated how liana species richness and density were concurrently influenced by altitude (1700–2360 m), forest patch size, forest patch location (edge or interior) and disturbance intensity in the tropical montane evergreen forests, of the Nilgiri and Palni hills, Western Ghats, southern India. All woody lianas (≥1 cm dbh) were enumerated in plots of 30 × 30 m in small, medium and large forest patches, which were located along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 1700 to 2360 m. A total of 1980 individual lianas were recorded, belonging to 45 species, 32 genera and 21 families, from a total sampling area of 13.86 ha (across 154 plots). Liana species richness and density decreased significantly with increasing altitude and increased with increasing forest patch size. Within forest patches, the proportion of forest edge or interior habitat influenced liana distribution and succession especially when compared across the patch size categories. Liana species richness and density also varied along the altitudinal gradient when examined using eco-physiological guilds (i.e. shade tolerance, dispersal mode and climbing mechanism). The species richness and density of lianas within these ecological guilds responded negatively to increasing altitude and positively to increasing patch size and additionally displayed differing sensitivities to forest disturbance. Importantly, the degree of forest disturbance significantly altered the relationship between liana species richness and density to increasing altitude and patches size, and as such is likely the primary influence on liana response to montane forest succession. Our findings suggest that managing forest disturbance in the examined montane forests would assist in conserving local liana diversity across the examined altitudinal range.