Factors affecting plant species distribution in hedgerows of southern Quebec

摘要

Woody linear features of farmlands have received much attention as pools of diversity in European countries, but they have, in comparison, been little considered in eastern North American ecological studies. Here, we evaluate the relative contribution of environmental conditions, history of management practices within hedgerows, and adjacent land-use on herb and shrub species distribution in woody hedgerows of agricultural landscapes of southern Quebec, Canada. We pay particular attention to the distribution of forest herbs and weed species and identify the main factors that explain their presence. We also evaluate the amount of spatial structuring in the species data and explanatory variables.