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The Hell of Wildfires: The Impact on Wildlife and Its Conservation and the Role of the Veterinarian. CONSERVATION 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/conservation3010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildfires are common occurrences worldwide that can destroy vast forest areas and kill numerous animals in a few hours. Climate change, rising global temperatures, precipitation, the introduction of exotic species of plants (e.g., eucalyptus), intensive agriculture, and deforestation have increased the number of fires and their intensity and destructive power. Nearly 4% of the global land surface (30–46 million/km2) is burned annually. There are many studies regarding the impact of wildfires on ecosystems, flora, domestic animals, and humans. Even though wildfires are a common and recurrent problem around the world, most of the time, they are a neglected issue, especially regarding wildlife. The information available is scarce and dispersed across several bibliographical references, and the veterinarian teams, most of the time, need to be trained to act in these situations. In this brief review, we describe different species’ behavior during a wildfire, the effects on the ecosystem, and the socioeconomic impact on the region. From a veterinarian’s perspective, we list the major injuries that are expected to be observed and how to proceed. In conclusion, we discuss better prevention and response measures in a wildfire scenario. This information can be used by veterinarians and all the entities involved in the prevention and combat of wildfires, and the general public has an important role in these situations.
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Huerta S, Marcos E, Fernández-García V, Calvo L. Short-term effects of burn severity on ecosystem multifunctionality in the northwest Iberian Peninsula. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:157193. [PMID: 35810905 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Severe wildfires cause important changes in vegetation and soil properties in Mediterranean ecosystems. The aim of this work was to evaluate ecosystem multifunctionality through the study of burn severity short-term effects on different ecosystem functions and services. We selected the Cabrera wildfire (2017) in northwest Spain. Burn severity was quantified using CBI index, differentiating four categories: unburned, low, moderate, and high severity. We established a total of 126 field plots, where one year after fire the vegetation was evaluated and soil samples for the analysis of chemical, biochemical, and microbiological properties were collected. Sentinel-2 images were used to obtain vegetation biophysical variables. Vegetation and soil variables were directly applied as indicators, or used to calculate other indicators, which were standardized and selected to define ecosystem functions and services: (1) photosynthetic activity, soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and soil quality (supporting ecosystem service); (2) grass production for livestock and wood production (provisioning ecosystem service); (3) climate regulation and erosion protection (regulating ecosystem services), and (4) woody species diversity and aesthetic value (cultural ecosystem services). The combination of these functions and services defined ecosystem multifunctionality. The main results showed that burn severity negatively affected most ecosystem functions, as well as the ecosystem services of supporting, provisioning, and regulating, and hence, ecosystem multifunctionality. However, the soil fertility function significantly increased with high burn severity, while woody species diversity and aesthetic value functions and, consequently, the cultural ecosystem service, only decreased under the effect of moderate severity. These results provide a starting point to study burn severity effects from a multifunctional approach in Mediterranean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Huerta
- Area of Ecology, Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Elena Marcos
- Area of Ecology, Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Víctor Fernández-García
- Area of Ecology, Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Leonor Calvo
- Area of Ecology, Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
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Torres I, Parra A, Moreno JM. Effects of spatial distance and woody plant cover on beta diversity point to dispersal limitation as a driver of community assembly during postfire succession in a Mediterranean shrubland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9130. [PMID: 35898419 PMCID: PMC9309027 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta diversity, and its components of turnover and nestedness, reflects the processes governing community assembly, such as dispersal limitation or biotic interactions, but it is unclear how they operate at the local scale and how their role changes along postfire succession. Here, we analyzed the patterns of beta diversity and its components in a herbaceous plant community after fire, and in relation to dispersal ability, in Central Spain. We calculated multiple-site beta diversity (βSOR) and its components of turnover (βSIM) and nestedness (βSNE) of all herbaceous plants, or grouped by dispersal syndrome (autochory, anemochory, and zoochory), during the first 3 years after wildfire. We evaluated the relationship between pairwise beta diversity (βsor), and its components (βsim, βsne), and spatial distance or differences in woody plant cover, a proxy of biotic interactions. We found high multiple-site beta diversity dominated by the turnover component. Community dissimilarity increased with spatial distance, driven mostly by the turnover component. Species with less dispersal ability (i.e., autochory) showed a stronger spatial pattern of dissimilarity. Biotic interactions with woody plants contributed less to community dissimilarity, which tended to occur through the nestedness component. These results suggest that dispersal limitation prevails over biotic interactions with woody plants as a driver of local community assembly, even for species with high dispersal ability. These results contribute to our understanding of postfire community assembly and vegetation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Torres
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Toledo Spain
| | - Antonio Parra
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Toledo Spain
| | - José M Moreno
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Toledo Spain
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4
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Werner CM, Harrison SP, Safford HD, Bohlman GN, Serata R. Extreme pre-fire drought decreases shrub regeneration on fertile soils. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02464. [PMID: 34614281 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Extreme drought and increasing temperatures can decrease the resilience of plant communities to fires. Not only may extremely dry conditions during or after fires lead to higher plant mortality and poorer recruitment, but severe pre-fire droughts may reduce the seed production and belowground vigor that are essential to post-fire plant recovery, and may indirectly facilitate invasion. We studied survival, recruitment, and growth of shrubs and herbs in chaparral (shrubland) communities in Northern California after a 2015 fire that immediately followed California's extreme 3-yr drought. We followed the same protocols used to study similar, adjacent communities after a 1999 fire that did not follow a drought, and we compared the two recovery trajectories. Overall, the 2015 fire was not more severe than the 1999 fire, yet it caused higher mortality and lower growth of resprouting shrubs on fertile (sandstone) soils. In contrast, the 2015 fire did not affect the mortality or growth of resprouting shrubs on infertile (serpentine) soils, the density of shrub seedlings, or the richness or cover of native herbs differently than the 1999 fire. However, the 2015 fire facilitated a massive increase in exotic herbaceous cover, especially on fertile soils, possibly portending the early stages of a type conversion to exotic-dominated grassland. Our findings indicate that the consequences of climate change on fire-dependent communities will include effects of pre-fire as well as post-fire climate, and that resprouting shrubs are particularly likely to be sensitive to pre-fire drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chhaya M Werner
- Department of Plant Sciences and Graduate Group in Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Susan P Harrison
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Hugh D Safford
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
- USDA Forest Service Region 5, Vallejo, California, 94592, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Serata
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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5
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Cerdà A, Lucas-Borja ME, Franch-Pardo I, Úbeda X, Novara A, López-Vicente M, Popović Z, Pulido M. The role of plant species on runoff and soil erosion in a Mediterranean shrubland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 799:149218. [PMID: 34352466 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Shrubland is a Mediterranean biome characterized by densely growing evergreen shrubs adapted to fire events. To date, scientific research has focused on the impact of vegetation on soil erosion mainly through the control that plant biomass or plant cover exerts on sediment delivery and runoff discharge, being the individual plant species influence on hydrological and erosional processes not achieved in detail. The objective of this research is to determine: i) runoff and soil losses in a shrubland-covered rangeland at Sierra de Enguera, Spain; and ii) how four plant species affect soil and water losses. We measured soil cover, soil properties, runoff discharge and sediment yield under natural rainfall for five years (2010-2014) in a typical shrubland burnt in 1999. Four plant species were selected with 4 plots each: Ulex parviflorus Pourr., Pistacia lentiscus L., Quercus coccifera L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. Despite that the soil properties and plant cover did not exhibit statistically significant differences among plant species, the runoff discharge was lower on Q. coccifera (4.87%, SE 0.24) and P. lentiscus (6.24%, SE 0.51) than on U. parviflorus (13.41%, SE 0.58) and R. officinalis (13.84%, SE 1.23). Sediment concentrations were, respectively, 3.91, 4.33, 4.31 and 4.88 g l-1, and the differences between R. officinalis and the other species were statistically significant. The runoff discharge determined differences in soil erosion rates among the plant species with lower rates on P. lentiscus (1.36 Mg ha-1 y-1) and Q. coccifera (1.53 Mg ha-1 y-1), than on U. parviflorus (3.17 Mg ha-1 y-1) and R. officinalis (3.85 Mg ha-1 y-1). This long term in situ study indicated that Q. coccifera and P. lentiscus are more efficient in controlling runoff discharge and soil losses than U. parviflorus and R. officinalis one decade after a fire. We discuss these results in light of the recent findings by the scientific community of the role of the canopy cover (rainfall interception), soil macropore and root system, and the water repellency that control the hydrological response of the soil (e.g. runoff generation, infiltration). The information supplied by 5 years of research is relevant for restoration and rehabilitation programs and advise that Q. coccifera and P. lentiscus are the most efficient plant species to control soil and water losses within the Mediterranean shrubland. This is an applied science approach for a better management of rangelands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemi Cerdà
- Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group, Department of Geography, Valencia University, Blasco Ibàñez, 28, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
| | - Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja
- Escuela Técnica y Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos y de Montes, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
| | - Ivan Franch-Pardo
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico.
| | - Xavier Úbeda
- Grup de Recerca Ambiental Mediterrània (GRAM), Department of Geography, Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat de Geografia i Història, Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Agata Novara
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Manuel López-Vicente
- Group Aquaterra, Advanced Scientific Research Center, University of A Coruña, CICA-UDC, As Carballeiras s/n, Campus de Elviña, 15071 La Coruña, Spain.
| | - Zorica Popović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
| | - Manuel Pulido
- GeoEnvironmental Research Group, University of Extremadura, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, 10071 Cáceres, Spain.
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6
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van Blerk JJ, West AG, Altwegg R, Hoffman MT. Post-fire summer rainfall differentially affects reseeder and resprouter population recovery in fire-prone shrublands of South Africa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 788:147699. [PMID: 34034189 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Summer rainfall can have strong effects on post-fire mediterranean-type shrubland recovery patterns, with potentially long-lasting implications on communities. Our three-year field rainfall manipulation experiment tested post-fire survival and physiological responses of reseeders and resprouters to contrasting summer rainfall patterns in Fynbos and Renosterveld shrublands in South Africa. Climate projections are uncertain for this region but indicate that increased convective summer rainfall events could occur. We irrigated treatment plots during the hottest summer months (i.e. Jan, Feb, March) to contrast the naturally dry summer conditions. This allowed for assessments of the potential limiting effects of summer drought on post-fire vegetation recovery and the responsiveness of vegetation to moisture inputs during this time. Natural summer droughts led to leaf dehydration, reduced photosynthesis and reduced photosynthetic capacity. This had a particularly severe effect on reseeders during the first summer after fire leading to high mortality rates. Summer irrigations strongly reduced levels of reseeder stress and mortality. Resprouters in both vegetation types were physiologically less sensitive to rainfall patterns and showed little drought-related mortality. Comparisons of final population sizes with emergence and survival patterns showed that summer rainfall during the first summer after fire had the potential to strongly alter reseeder population sizes. The physiological sensitivity of plants to summer rainfall patterns was higher in shrubland communities occurring on fine-textured, moderately fertile soils (e.g. Renosterveld). Shrublands occurring on sandy, nutrient-poor soils (e.g. Fynbos) were remarkably insensitive to summer drought after the first summer with lower irrigation responses. Our study demonstrated the potential for variation in post-fire summer rainfall to strongly affect reseeder and resprouter population recovery patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J van Blerk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
| | - A G West
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - R Altwegg
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - M T Hoffman
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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7
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van Blerk JJ, West AG, Altwegg R, Hoffman MT. Does a trade-off between growth plasticity and resource conservatism mediate post-fire shrubland responses to rainfall seasonality? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1407-1420. [PMID: 33524198 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Growth plasticity may allow fire-prone species to maximize their recovery rates during temporary, sporadic periods of rainfall availability in the post-fire environment. However, moisture-driven growth plasticity could be maladaptive in nutrient-limited environments that require tighter control of growth and resource use. We investigated whether a trade-off between plasticity and conservatism mediates growth responses to altered rainfall seasonality in neighbouring shrubland communities that occupy different soils. We monitored post-fire vegetation regrowth in two structurally similar, Mediterranean-type shrublands for 3 years. We investigated the effects of experimentally altered rainfall seasonality on post-fire species' growth rates. We found that moisture-driven growth plasticity was higher among species occupying the fertile soils of the renosterveld site relative to those occupying the nutrient-poor soils of the fynbos site. This resulted in higher overall responsiveness of post-fire recovery patterns in renosterveld to experimental shifts in rainfall seasonality. In post-fire shrubland communities, the trade-off between moisture-dependent growth plasticity and resource conservatism could be mediated by soil nutrient availability. Therefore, edaphic differences between structurally similar shrublands could lead to differences in their sensitivity to post-fire rainfall seasonality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J van Blerk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Adam G West
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Res Altwegg
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - M Timm Hoffman
- Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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8
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Rainsford FW, Kelly LT, Leonard SWJ, Bennett AF. Fire and functional traits: Using functional groups of birds and plants to guide management in a fire‐prone, heathy woodland ecosystem. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frederick W. Rainsford
- Department of Ecology Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Vic. Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes La Trobe University Bundoora Vic. Australia
| | - Luke T. Kelly
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Parkville Vic. Australia
| | - Steve W. J. Leonard
- Department of Ecology Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Vic. Australia
- Department of Primary Industries Hobart Tas. Australia
| | - Andrew F. Bennett
- Department of Ecology Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Vic. Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes La Trobe University Bundoora Vic. Australia
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9
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Applestein C, Caughlin TT, Germino MJ. Weather affects post‐fire recovery of sagebrush‐steppe communities and model transferability among sites. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cara Applestein
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 970 South Lusk Street Boise Idaho83706USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
| | - T. Trevor Caughlin
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
| | - Matthew J. Germino
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 970 South Lusk Street Boise Idaho83706USA
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10
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Grace JB, Irvine KM. Scientist's guide to developing explanatory statistical models using causal analysis principles. Ecology 2020; 101:e02962. [PMID: 31872426 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Recent discussions of model selection and multimodel inference highlight a general challenge for researchers: how to convey the explanatory content of a hypothesized model or set of competing models clearly. The advice from statisticians for scientists employing multimodel inference is to develop a well-thought-out set of candidate models for comparison, though precise instructions for how to do that are typically not given. A coherent body of knowledge, which falls under the general term causal analysis, now exists for examining the explanatory scientific content of candidate models. Much of the literature on causal analysis has been recently developed, and we suspect may not be familiar to many ecologists. This body of knowledge comprises a set of graphical tools and axiomatic principles to support scientists in their endeavors to create "well-formed hypotheses," as statisticians are asking them to do. Causal analysis is complementary to methods such as structural equation modeling, which provides the means for evaluation of proposed hypotheses against data. In this paper, we summarize and illustrate a set of principles that can guide scientists in their quest to develop explanatory hypotheses for evaluation. The principles presented in this paper have the capacity to close the communication gap between statisticians, who urge scientists to develop well-thought-out coherent models, and scientists, who would like some practical advice for exactly how to do that.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Grace
- Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 700 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70506, USA
| | - Kathryn M Irvine
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2327 University Way Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA
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11
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Sittler KL, Parker KL, Gillingham MP. Vegetation and prescribed fire: Implications for Stone's sheep and elk. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krista L. Sittler
- Natural Resources and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeBCV2N 4Z9Canada
| | - Katherine L. Parker
- Natural Resources and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeBCV2N 4Z9Canada
| | - Michael P. Gillingham
- Natural Resources and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeBCV2N 4Z9Canada
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12
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Çatav ŞS, Küçükakyüz K, Tavşanoğlu Ç, Pausas JG. Effect of fire-derived chemicals on germination and seedling growth in Mediterranean plant species. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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13
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Parra A, Moreno JM. Drought differentially affects the post-fire dynamics of seeders and resprouters in a Mediterranean shrubland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 626:1219-1229. [PMID: 29898529 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In fire-prone ecosystems, changes in rainfall after fire could differentially affect seeders and resprouters, thus leading to long-lasting impacts on the vegetation. Climate change in the Mediterranean region is projected to reduce precipitation, expand the summer drought and increase fire danger. Understanding the sensitivity to changes in rainfall during the post-fire regeneration stage is critical to anticipate the impacts of climate change on Mediterranean-type areas of the world. Here, we investigated how species differing in post-fire regeneration strategy (seeders vs resprouters) responded to rainfall changes in a Cistus-Erica shrubland of central Spain. Drought treatments were implemented using a system of automatic rainout shelters with an irrigation facility before (one season) and after (four years) burning a set of experimental plots. Treatments applied were: environmental control (natural rainfall), historical control (mimicking the long-term rainfall), moderate drought (-25% rainfall), and severe drought (-45% rainfall). Plant demography and vigour (main woody shrubs), as well as abundance (shrubs and herbs) were monitored during the first four years after fire. The first post-fire year was the key period for the recovery of seeders (Cistus ladanifer and Rosmarinus officinalis), and their recruitment, cover and size significantly decreased with drought. However, density four years after fire was larger than unburned and it was significantly correlated with emergence during the first year, indicating that population controls were more on emergence than on establishment. In contrast, resprouters (Erica arborea, Erica scoparia and Phillyrea angustifolia) were hardly affected by drought. Plant community dynamics in the burned control plots progressively converged with the unburned ones, while that in the drought-treated plots lagged behind them, maintaining a higher cover, richness and diversity of herbs. This post-fire "herbalization" due to drought might facilitate an untimely fire, before seeders would reach sexual maturity, which could have major implications for the maintenance of the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Parra
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, E-45071 Toledo, Spain.
| | - José M Moreno
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, E-45071 Toledo, Spain.
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14
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Park IW, Hooper J, Flegal JM, Jenerette GD. Impacts of climate, disturbance and topography on distribution of herbaceous cover in Southern California chaparral: Insights from a remote‐sensing method. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Isaac W. Park
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences University of California at Riverside Riverside CA USA
- Center for Conservation Biology University of California at Riverside Riverside CA USA
| | | | - James M. Flegal
- Department of Statistics University of California at Riverside Riverside CA USA
| | - G. Darrel Jenerette
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences University of California at Riverside Riverside CA USA
- Center for Conservation Biology University of California at Riverside Riverside CA USA
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15
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Fuentes L, Duguy B, Nadal-Sala D. Short-term effects of spring prescribed burning on the understory vegetation of a Pinushalepensis forest in Northeastern Spain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 610-611:720-731. [PMID: 28822939 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Since the 1970s, fire regimes have been modified in the Northern Mediterranean region due to profound landscape changes mostly driven by socioeconomic factors, such as rural abandonment and large-scale plantations. Both fuel accumulation and the increasing vegetation spatial continuity, combined with the expansion of the wildland-urban interface, have enhanced fire risk and the occurrence of large wildfires. This situation will likely worsen under the projected aridity increase resulting from climate change. Higher fire recurrences, in particular, are expected to cause changes in vegetation composition or structure and affect ecosystems' resilience to fire, which may lead to further land degradation. Prescribed burning is a common fuel reduction technique used for fire prevention, but for conservation and restoration purposes as well. It is still poorly accepted in the Mediterranean region since constrained by critical knowledge gaps about, in particular, its effects on the ecosystems (soil, vegetation). We studied the short-term (10months) effects on the understory vegetation of a spring prescribed burning conducted in a Pinushalepensis forest in Mediterranean climate (Northeastern Spain). Our results show that the understory plant community recovered after the burning without short term significant changes in either species richness, diversity, or floristic composition. Most vegetation structural characteristics were modified though. The burning strongly reduced shrub height, shrub and herbaceous percentage covers, and aerial shrub phytomass; especially its living fine fraction, thus resulting in a less flammable community. The treatment proved to be particularly effective for the short term control of Ulexparviflorus, a highly flammable seeder species. Moreover, the strong reduction of seeder shrubs frequency in relation to resprouters' likely promoted the resilience to fire of this plant community. From a fuel-oriented perspective, the burning caused a strong reduction of spatial continuity and surface fuel loads, leading to a less fire-prone fuel complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fuentes
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Duguy
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Daniel Nadal-Sala
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Kertész M, Aszalós R, Lengyel A, Ónodi G. Synergistic effects of the components of global change: Increased vegetation dynamics in open, forest-steppe grasslands driven by wildfires and year-to-year precipitation differences. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188260. [PMID: 29149208 PMCID: PMC5693438 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change and land use change are two major elements of human-induced global environmental change. In temperate grasslands and woodlands, increasing frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and increasing severity of wildfires has altered the structure and dynamics of vegetation. In this paper, we studied the impact of wildfires and the year-to-year differences in precipitation on species composition changes in semi-arid grasslands of a forest-steppe complex ecosystem which has been partially disturbed by wildfires. Particularly, we investigated both how long-term compositional dissimilarity changes and species richness are affected by year-to-year precipitation differences on burnt and unburnt areas. Study sites were located in central Hungary, in protected areas characterized by partially-burnt, juniper-poplar forest-steppe complexes of high biodiversity. Data were used from two long-term monitoring sites in the Kiskunság National Park, both characterized by the same habitat complex. We investigated the variation in species composition as a function of time using distance decay methodology. In each sampling area, compositional dissimilarity increased with the time elapsed between the sampling events, and species richness differences increased with increasing precipitation differences between consecutive years. We found that both the long-term compositional dissimilarity, and the year-to-year changes in species richness were higher in the burnt areas than in the unburnt ones. The long-term compositional dissimilarities were mostly caused by perennial species, while the year-to-year changes of species richness were driven by annual and biennial species. As the effect of the year-to-year variation in precipitation was more pronounced in the burnt areas, we conclude that canopy removal by wildfires and extreme inter-annual variability of precipitation, two components of global environmental change, act in a synergistic way. They enhance the effect of one another, resulting in greater long-term and year-to-year changes in the composition of grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miklós Kertész
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, Tihany, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Réka Aszalós
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Attila Lengyel
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Gábor Ónodi
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
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17
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Westgate MJ, MacGregor C, Scheele BC, Driscoll DA, Lindenmayer DB. Effects of time since fire on frog occurrence are altered by isolation, vegetation and fire frequency gradients. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martin J. Westgate
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Christopher MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- Long‐term Ecological Research Network Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- National Environmental Science Programme Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Don A. Driscoll
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Centre for Intregrative Ecology Deakin University Burwood Vic. Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- Long‐term Ecological Research Network Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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18
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Rottler CM, Burke IC, Palmquist KA, Bradford JB, Lauenroth WK. Current reclamation practices after oil and gas development do not speed up succession or plant community recovery in big sagebrush ecosystems in Wyoming. Restor Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M. Rottler
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 U.S.A
- Program in Ecology; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 U.S.A
- Department of Botany; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 U.S.A
| | - Ingrid C. Burke
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 U.S.A
- Program in Ecology; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 U.S.A
- Department of Botany; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY 82071 U.S.A
| | | | - John B. Bradford
- Southwest Biological Science Center; US Geological Survey; Flagstaff AZ 86001 U.S.A
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Parra A, Moreno JM. Post-fire environments are favourable for plant functioning of seeder and resprouter Mediterranean shrubs, even under drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:1118-1131. [PMID: 28240348 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how drought affects seeder and resprouter plants during post-fire regeneration is important for the anticipation of Mediterranean vegetation vulnerability in a context of increasing drought and fire caused by climate change. A Mediterranean shrubland was subjected to various drought treatments (including 45% rainfall reduction, 7 months drought yr-1 ), before and after experimental burning, by means of a rainout-shelter system with an irrigation facility. Predawn shoot water potential (Ψpd ), relative growth rate (RGR), specific leaf area (SLA) and bulk leaf carbon isotopic composition (δ13 C) were monitored in the main woody species during the first 3 yr after fire. Cistus ladanifer seedlings showed higher Ψpd , RGR and SLA, and lower δ13 C, than unburned plants during the first two post-fire years. Seedlings under drought maintained relatively high Ψpd , but suffered a decrease in Ψpd and RGR, and an increase in δ13 C, relative to control treatments. Erica arborea, E. scoparia and Phillyrea angustifolia resprouts had higher Ψpd and RGR than unburned plants during the first post-fire year. Resprouters were largely unaffected by drought. Overall, despite marked differences between the two functional groups, post-fire environments were favourable for plant functioning of both seeder and resprouter shrubs, even under the most severe drought conditions implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Parra
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, 45071, Spain
| | - José M Moreno
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, 45071, Spain
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20
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Aridity influences the recovery of vegetation and shrubland birds after wildfire. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173599. [PMID: 28355225 PMCID: PMC5371301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildfires play a determining role in the composition and structure of many plant and animal communities. On the other hand, climate change is considered to be a major driver of current and future fire regime changes. Despite increases in drought in many areas of the world, the effects of aridity on post-fire colonization by animals have been rarely addressed. This study aims to analyse how a regional aridity gradient affects post-fire recovery of vegetation, bird species richness and the numbers of four early to middle-successional warbler species associated with the shrub cover. The database contains bird relative abundance and environmental variables from 3072 censuses in 695 transects located in 70 recently burnt areas (1 to 11 years after wildfire) in Catalonia (Spain), which were sampled between 2006 and 2013. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) showed that plant cover was affected by time since fire, aridity and forest management. However, only the highest vegetation height layer (>100 cm) recovered slower in arid areas after fire. Time since fire positively influenced bird species richness and the relative abundance of the four focal species. The post-fire recovery of Melodious (Hippolais polyglotta) and Subalpine warblers (Sylvia cantillans) was hampered by aridity. Although this was not demonstrated for Dartford (S. undata) and Sardinian warblers (S. melanocephala), their occurrence was low in the driest areas during the first three years after fire. Overall, this study suggests that future increases in aridity can affect plant regeneration after fire and slow down the recovery of animal populations that depend on understorey and shrublands. Given the recently highlighted increases in aridity and fire frequency in Mediterranean-climate regions, improved knowledge on how aridity affects ecological succession is especially necessary.
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Oldfather MF, Britton MN, Papper PD, Koontz MJ, Halbur MM, Dodge C, Flint AL, Flint LE, Ackerly DD. Effects of topoclimatic complexity on the composition of woody plant communities. AOB PLANTS 2016; 8:plw049. [PMID: 27339048 PMCID: PMC4972463 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plw049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Topography can create substantial environmental variation at fine spatial scales. Shaped by slope, aspect, hill-position and elevation, topoclimate heterogeneity may increase ecological diversity, and act as a spatial buffer for vegetation responding to climate change. Strong links have been observed between climate heterogeneity and species diversity at broader scales, but the importance of topoclimate for woody vegetation across small spatial extents merits closer examination. We established woody vegetation monitoring plots in mixed evergreen-deciduous woodlands that spanned topoclimate gradients of a topographically heterogeneous landscape in northern California. We investigated the association between the structure of adult and regenerating size classes of woody vegetation and multidimensional topoclimate at a fine scale. We found a significant effect of topoclimate on both single-species distributions and community composition. Effects of topoclimate were evident in the regenerating size class for all dominant species (four Quercus spp., Umbellularia californica and Pseudotsuga menziesii) but only in two dominant species (Quercus agrifolia and Quercus garryana) for the adult size class. Adult abundance was correlated with water balance parameters (e.g. climatic water deficit) and recruit abundance was correlated with an interaction between the topoclimate parameters and conspecific adult abundance (likely reflecting local seed dispersal). However, in all cases, the topoclimate signal was weak. The magnitude of environmental variation across our study site may be small relative to the tolerance of long-lived woody species. Dispersal limitations, management practices and patchy disturbance regimes also may interact with topoclimate, weakening its influence on woody vegetation distributions. Our study supports the biological relevance of multidimensional topoclimate for mixed woodland communities, but highlights that this relationship might be mediated by interacting factors at local scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan F Oldfather
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Matthew N Britton
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bolus Herbarium, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa
| | - Prahlad D Papper
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael J Koontz
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Michelle M Halbur
- Pepperwood Preserve, 2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA
| | - Celeste Dodge
- Pepperwood Preserve, 2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA
| | - Alan L Flint
- Water Resources Discipline, U.S. Geological Survey, Placer Hall, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Lorriane E Flint
- Water Resources Discipline, U.S. Geological Survey, Placer Hall, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - David D Ackerly
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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22
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Meng R, Dennison PE, D'Antonio CM, Moritz MA. Remote sensing analysis of vegetation recovery following short-interval fires in Southern California shrublands. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110637. [PMID: 25337785 PMCID: PMC4206446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased fire frequency has been shown to promote alien plant invasions in the western United States, resulting in persistent vegetation type change. Short interval fires are widely considered to be detrimental to reestablishment of shrub species in southern California chaparral, facilitating the invasion of exotic annuals and producing "type conversion". However, supporting evidence for type conversion has largely been at local, site scales and over short post-fire time scales. Type conversion has not been shown to be persistent or widespread in chaparral, and past range improvement studies present evidence that chaparral type conversion may be difficult and a relatively rare phenomenon across the landscape. With the aid of remote sensing data covering coastal southern California and a historical wildfire dataset, the effects of short interval fires (<8 years) on chaparral recovery were evaluated by comparing areas that burned twice to adjacent areas burned only once. Twelve pairs of once- and twice-burned areas were compared using normalized burn ratio (NBR) distributions. Correlations between measures of recovery and explanatory factors (fire history, climate and elevation) were analyzed by linear regression. Reduced vegetation cover was found in some lower elevation areas that were burned twice in short interval fires, where non-sprouting species are more common. However, extensive type conversion of chaparral to grassland was not evident in this study. Most variables, with the exception of elevation, were moderately or poorly correlated with differences in vegetation recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Meng
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Philip E Dennison
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Carla M D'Antonio
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Max A Moritz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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García-Tejero S, Taboada Á, Tárrega R, Salgado J, Marcos E. Differential responses of ecosystem components to a low-intensity fire in a Mediterranean forest: a three-year case study. COMMUNITY ECOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1556/comec.14.2013.1.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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24
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Tucker CM, Cadotte MW. Fire variability, as well as frequency, can explain coexistence between seeder and resprouter life histories. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Tucker
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Willcocks Street; Toronto; ON; M5S 3B2; Canada
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25
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Index for Characterizing Post-Fire Soil Environments in Temperate Coniferous Forests. FORESTS 2012. [DOI: 10.3390/f3030445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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26
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Jules ES, Ellison AM, Gotelli NJ, Lillie S, Meindl GA, Sanders NJ, Young AN. Influence of fire on a rare serpentine plant assemblage: a 5-year study of Darlingtonia fens. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2011; 98:801-811. [PMID: 21613182 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1000437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Serpentine soils have attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists for decades because of their high number of rare and endemic taxa, though less is known about the ecological factors that govern the diversity and composition of serpentine communities. Theory suggests that vegetation on these low-productivity soils will be relatively resilient to fire, the most common natural disturbance in serpentine systems. METHODS We studied the recovery of vegetation in Darlingtonia fens, a unique habitat dominated by herbaceous perennials, from a major fire that burned ∼202,000 ha in California and Oregon's Klamath Mountains in 2002. We established permanent plots in eight unburned and eight burned fens in 2003 and recorded percent cover of vascular plant species. We re-sampled plots each year through 2007. KEY RESULTS Burned fens had less plant cover than unburned fens for 2 yr after the fire. Average species density was ∼10% lower in burned fens 1 yr after the fire but ∼4-8% higher for the next 4 yr. Burned fens exhibited greater evenness but not until 4 yr after the fire. Differences in community composition were detected between the two fen types, but species ranks were similar, and species neither were added to nor removed from the burned assemblages. CONCLUSIONS Burning of Darlingtonia fens has detectable, albeit modest, effects on serpentine communities. Because fens have little or no canopy cover, fire has little influence on light availability in this system. This relatively small resource change, combined with high soil moisture and well-developed underground organs of fen plants, produces a highly resilient assemblage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik S Jules
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521, USA.
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27
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Effects of Repeated Fires on the Structure, Composition, and Dynamics of Mediterranean Maquis: Short- and Long-Term Perspectives. Ecosystems 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-011-9424-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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28
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Resistance to wildfire and early regeneration in natural broadleaved forest and pine plantation. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2010.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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29
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Keeley JE, Brennan T, Pfaff AH. Fire severity and ecosytem responses following crown fires in California shrublands. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2008; 18:1530-1546. [PMID: 18767627 DOI: 10.1890/07-0836.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Chaparral shrublands burn in large high-intensity crown fires. Managers interested in how these wildfires affect ecosystem processes generally rely on surrogate measures of fire intensity known as fire severity metrics. In shrublands burned in the autumn of 2003, a study of 250 sites investigated factors determining fire severity and ecosystem responses. Using structural equation modeling we show that stand age, prefire shrub density, and the shortest interval of the prior fire history had significant direct effects on fire severity, explaining > 50% of the variation in severity. Fire severity per se is of interest to resource managers primarily because it is presumed to be an indicator of important ecosystem processes such as vegetative regeneration, community recovery, and erosion. Fire severity contributed relatively little to explaining patterns of regeneration after fire. Two generalizations can be drawn: fire severity effects are mostly shortlived, i.e., by the second year they are greatly diminished, and fire severity may have opposite effects on different functional types. Species richness exhibited a negative relationship to fire severity in the first year, but fire severity impacts were substantially less in the second postfire year and varied by functional type. Much of this relationship was due to alien plants that are sensitive to high fire severity; at all scales from 1 to 1000 m2, the percentage of alien species in the postfire flora declined with increased fire severity. Other aspects of disturbance history are also important determinants of alien cover and richness as both increased with the number of times the site had burned and decreased with time since last fire. A substantial number of studies have shown that remote-sensing indices are correlated with field measurements of fire severity. Across our sites, absolute differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) was strongly correlated with field measures of fire severity and with fire history at a site but relative dNBR was not. Despite being correlated with fire severity, absolute dNBR showed little or no relationship with important ecosystem responses to wildfire such as shrub resprouting or total vegetative regeneration. These findings point to a critical need for further research on interpreting remote sensing indices as applied to postfire management of these shrublands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon E Keeley
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Sequoia-Kings Canyon Field Station, Three Rivers, California 93271, USA.
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Haire SL, McGarigal K. Inhabitants of Landscape Scars: Succession of Woody Plants After Large, Severe Forest Fires in Arizona and New Mexico. SOUTHWEST NAT 2008. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909(2008)53[146:iolsso]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Keeley JE, Fotheringham CJ, Baer-Keeley M. DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF POSTFIRE REGENERATION IN MEDITERRANEAN-CLIMATE SHRUBLANDS OF CALIFORNIA. ECOL MONOGR 2006. [DOI: 10.1890/0012-9615(2006)076[0235:dpopri]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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32
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Grace JB, Keeley JE. A structural equation model analysis of postfire plant diversity in California shrublands. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2006; 16:503-14. [PMID: 16711040 DOI: 10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[0503:asemao]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates patterns of plant diversity following wildfires in fire-prone shrublands of California, seeks to understand those patterns in terms of both local and landscape factors, and considers the implications for fire management. Ninety study sites were established following extensive wildfires in 1993, and 1000-m(2) plots were used to sample a variety of parameters. Data on community responses were collected for five years following fire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to relate plant species richness to plant abundance, fire severity, abiotic conditions, within-plot heterogeneity, stand age, and position in the landscape. Temporal dynamics of average richness response was also modeled. Richness was highest in the first year following fire, indicating postfire enhancement of diversity. A general decline in richness over time was detected, with year-to-year variation attributable to annual variations in precipitation. Peak richness in the landscape was found where (1) plant abundance was moderately high, (2) within-plot heterogeneity was high, (3) soils were moderately low in nitrogen, high in sand content, and with high rock cover, (4) fire severity was low, and (5) stands were young prior to fire. Many of these characteristics were correlated with position in the landscape and associated conditions. We infer from the SEM results that postfire richness in this system is strongly influenced by local conditions and that these conditions are, in turn, predictably related to landscape-level conditions. For example, we observed that older stands of shrubs were characterized by more severe fires, which were associated with a low recovery of plant cover and low richness. These results may have implications for the use of prescribed fire in this system if these findings extrapolate to prescribed burns as we would expect.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Grace
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center, 700 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, USA.
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