Agricultural expansion has contributed to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats and, as a consequence, the edge effect in these habitats has increased, leading to nest predation rates higher at the edge of fragments than in the interior. Living fences in abandoned croplands, however, add a structural component to the landscape which can help to mitigate the effects of disturbance. We used artificial nests to assess whether a living fence at the edge of a fragment of tropical dry forest, immersed in an agricultural landscape, can assuage the edge effect by decreasing predation rates. We identified the predators that attacked nests at several distances from the living fence and related the frequency of predator attacks with plant height, leaf height diversity, and tree and herb coverage. Vegetation structure of the living fence was vertically more complex than that found inside the fragment. 52% of nests were predated and we did not find a significant relationship between predation rates and the proximity of nests to the living fence, suggesting a null edge effect on predation. Birds were the most frequent predators, followed by rodents and carnivorous mammals, with the composition of predators varying among transects. The composition of predators and vegetation structure of the living fence were the factors that explained the null edge effect on nests predation. Our results indicate that the presence of a living fence at the edge of a fragment in agroforestry systems could mitigate the edge effects on nest predation.

农业的扩张导致自然生境的丧失和破碎化，结果，这些生境的边缘效应增加，导致碎片边缘的巢捕食率高于内部。但是，废弃农田中的活动围栏为景观增加了结构性成分，可以帮助减轻干扰的影响。我们使用人工巢来评估热带干旱森林片段边缘的生活栅栏（浸没在农业景观中）是否可以通过降低捕食率来缓解边缘效应。我们确定了在距活动围栏若干距离处袭击巢穴的捕食者，并将捕食者袭击的频率与植物高度，叶高多样性以及树木和草本植物的覆盖率相关联。垂直方向上，活动围栏的植被结构比碎片内部复杂。52％的巢被捕食，我们没有发现捕食率与巢与活动围栏的接近程度之间有显着关系，这表明对捕食没有边缘效应。鸟类是最常见的食肉动物，其次是啮齿动物和肉食性哺乳动物，各样动物的食肉动物组成各样。食肉动物的组成和活动围栏的植被结构是造成巢边缘捕食的零边缘效应的原因。我们的结果表明，在农林业系统中，在碎片边缘存在活动篱笆可以减轻边缘对巢穴捕食的影响。52％的巢被捕食，我们没有发现捕食率与巢与活动围栏的接近程度之间有显着关系，这表明对捕食没有边缘效应。鸟类是最常见的食肉动物，其次是啮齿动物和肉食性哺乳动物，各样动物的食肉动物组成各样。食肉动物的组成和活动围栏的植被结构是解释零边缘对巢穴捕食的影响的因素。我们的结果表明，在农林业系统中，在碎片边缘存在活动篱笆可以减轻边缘对巢穴捕食的影响。52％的巢被捕食，我们没有发现捕食率与巢与活动围栏的接近程度之间有显着关系，这表明对捕食没有边缘效应。鸟类是最常见的食肉动物，其次是啮齿动物和肉食性哺乳动物，各样动物的食肉动物组成各样。食肉动物的组成和活动围栏的植被结构是造成巢边缘捕食的零边缘效应的原因。我们的结果表明，在农林业系统中，在碎片边缘存在活动篱笆可以减轻边缘对巢穴捕食的影响。各样样的食肉动物组成各不相同。食肉动物的组成和活动围栏的植被结构是造成巢边缘捕食的零边缘效应的原因。我们的结果表明，在农林业系统中，在碎片边缘存在活动篱笆可以减轻边缘对巢穴捕食的影响。各样样的食肉动物组成各不相同。食肉动物的组成和活动围栏的植被结构是造成巢边缘捕食的零边缘效应的原因。我们的结果表明，在农林业系统中，在碎片边缘存在活动篱笆可以减轻边缘对巢穴捕食的影响。