Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Simulating Impacts of Ice Storms on Forest Ecosystems
Published on: June 30, 2020
Long-term impacts of logging on forest diversity in Madagascar
Kerry A Brown1, Jessica Gurevitch
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245, USA. kbrown@life.bio.sunysb.edu
Abstract:
Ecological perturbations can either be necessary for maintaining tropical forest diversity or responsible for its decline, depending on the scale, nature, and frequency of the disturbance. Anthropogenic disturbances such as logging and subsistence agriculture may promote the establishment of nonnative, invasive plant species, potentially affecting forest structure and diversity even long after the perturbation has ceased. We investigated the impacts of logging 50 and 150 years ago on tropical forest vegetation in Madagascar, a "hotspot" of biodiversity. Logging was the overriding factor influencing establishment of nonnative plants. Sites once logged never recovered native species diversity because of the dominance and persistence of invasive species.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
What is Biodiversity?
Threats to Biodiversity
Conservation of Small Populations
Ecological Disturbance
Conservation of Declining Populations
Habitat Fragmentation

