气候、植被和地形对大兴安岭林火烈度空间格局的影响

在北方森林中火干扰是森林景观变化的主导因素。林火烈度作为衡量林火动态的重要指标,较为直观地反映了火干扰对森林生态系统的破坏程度,其空间格局深刻地影响着森林景观中的多种生态过程(如树种组成、种子扩散以及植被的恢复)。解释林火烈度空间格局有助于揭示林火干扰后森林景观格局的形成机制,对预测未来林火烈度空间格局以及制定科学合理林火管理策略均有重要意义。基于LandsatTM/ETM遥感影像,将2000—2016年大兴安岭呼中林区的36场火的林火烈度划分为未过火、轻度、中度、重度4个等级。采用FRAGSTAT景观格局分析软件从类型水平上计算了斑块所占景观面积比、面积加权平均斑块面积、面积加权平均斑块分维数、面积加权边缘面积比、斑块密度5个景观指数,以对林火烈度空间格局进行了定量化描述。并且采用随机森林模型,分析了气候、地形、植被对林火烈度空间格局的影响及其边际效应。通过研究得出以下结果:(1)相对于未过火、轻度、以及中度火烧斑块,重度火烧斑块的面积更大、形状更简单;(2)海拔对重度火烧斑块的空间格局起着至关重要的作用,其次是坡向、坡度、植被覆盖度、相对湿度、温度等;(3)随着海拔的升高,面积加权平均斑块面积和面积加权平均斑块分维数的边际效应曲线呈上升趋势,而面积加权边缘面积比和斑块密度呈下降趋势;除了面积加权平均斑块面积外,都受到火前植被覆盖度的影响,且植被覆盖度为0.2—0.3范围内,重度火烧斑块在景观中所占比例最大。总的来看,2000—2016年大兴安岭呼中森林景观中重度火烧斑块与未过火、轻度以及中度火烧斑块存在显著差异性。相对于气候,地形和植被对于塑造重度火烧斑块空间格局具有重要作用。因此,应针对重度火烧区域进行可燃物处理,从景观层面上合理配置森林斑块,从而降低高烈度森林大火发生的风险。     

Local lithological drivers of post-fire vegetation recovery and implications for fire-prone regions

Local ecosystem resilience to fire disturbance can be influenced by multiple factors, from topography and climate, to fire history and pre-fire structure of biotic communities. Here we investigated the factors affecting post-fire recovery of scrub vegetation in areas under Mediterranean climate affected by frequent fires. We hypothesized that, under comparable climatic and topographic conditions, geological factors (with bedrock type as a proxy) would be at least as important as fire history in explaining patterns of post-fire recovery. We surveyed scrub vegetation in a mountain study area in Portugal, using a stratified random sampling scheme, with fire frequency, time since last fire, and bedrock type (granite vs. schist) as stratifying layers. Based on vegetation and plant community data from 40 plots, we analyzed total species richness and composition, and the relative abundance of functional groups defined on the basis of general (non fire-specific) life-history traits. We found that, at a local scale, lithology can override fire history in determining post-fire recovery. Vegetation plots on granite exhibited a considerable development of tall scrubs and higher values of total species richness. They also hosted higher numbers of animal-dispersed woody species, of trees and tall scrubs, of woody deciduous species, and of forest, edge and tall scrub species. Differences in the post-fire development of scrub vegetation and in the functional profile of plant communities highlight the need to consider local geological diversity when establishing priorities for post-fire active restoration under scenarios of limited resources.     

Resistance to wildfire and early regeneration in natural broadleaved forest and pine plantation

The response of an ecosystem to disturbance reflects its stability, which is determined by two components: resistance and resilience. We addressed both components in a study of early post-fire response of natural broadleaved forest (Quercus robur, Ilex aquifolium) and pine plantation (Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris) to a wildfire that burned over 6000 ha in NW Portugal. Fire resistance was assessed from fire severity, tree mortality and sapling persistence. Understory fire resistance was similar between forests: fire severity at the surface level was moderate to low, and sapling persistence was low. At the canopy level, fire severity was generally low in broadleaved forest but heterogeneous in pine forest, and mean tree mortality was significantly higher in pine forest. Forest resilience was assessed by the comparison of the understory composition, species diversity and seedling abundance in unburned and burned plots in each forest type. Unburned broadleaved communities were dominated by perennial herbs (e.g., Arrhenatherum elatius) and woody species (e.g., Hedera hibernica, Erica arborea), all able to regenerate vegetatively. Unburned pine communities presented a higher abundance of shrubs, and most dominant species relied on post-fire seeding, with some species also being able to regenerate vegetatively (e.g., Ulex minor, Daboecia cantabrica). There were no differences in diversity measures in broadleaved forest, but burned communities in pine forest shared less species and were less rich and diverse than unburned communities. Seedling abundance was similar in burned and unburned plots in both forests. The slower reestablishment of understory pine communities is probably explained by the slower recovery rate of dominant species. These findings are ecologically relevant: the higher resistance and resilience of native broadleaved forest implies a higher stability in the maintenance of forest processes and the delivery of ecosystem services.     

The impacts and implications of an intensifying fire regime on Alaskan boreal forest composition and albedo

Climate warming and drying are modifying the fire dynamics of many boreal forests, moving them towards a regime with a higher frequency of extreme fire years characterized by large burns of high severity. Plot‐scale studies indicate that increased burn severity favors the recruitment of deciduous trees in the initial years following fire. Consequently, a set of biophysical effects of burn severity on postfire boreal successional trajectories at decadal timescales have been hypothesized. Prominent among these are a greater cover of deciduous tree species in intermediately aged stands after more severe burning, with associated implications for carbon and energy balances. Here we investigate whether the current vegetation composition of interior Alaska supports this hypothesis. A chronosequence of six decades of vegetation regrowth following fire was created using a database of burn scars, an existing forest biomass map, and maps of albedo and the deciduous fraction of vegetation that we derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. The deciduous fraction map depicted the proportion of aboveground biomass in deciduous vegetation, derived using a RandomForest algorithm trained with field data sets (n=69, 71% variance explained). Analysis of the difference Normalized Burn Ratio, a remotely sensed index commonly used as an indicator of burn severity, indicated that burn size and ignition date can provide a proxy of burn severity for historical fires. LIDAR remote sensing and a bioclimatic model of evergreen forest distribution were used to further refine the stratification of the current landscape by burn severity. Our results show that since the 1950s, more severely burned areas in interior Alaska have produced a vegetation cohort that is characterized by greater deciduous biomass. We discuss the importance of this shift in vegetation composition due to climate‐induced changes in fire severity for carbon sequestration in forest biomass and surface reflectance (albedo), among other feedbacks to climate.     

Predicting the Recovery of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus halepensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus ilex</Emphasis> Forests after a Large Wildfire in Northeastern Spain

Quercus ilex and Pinus halepensis are two of the most common tree species of the western Mediterranean basin. Both species regenerate reliably after fire: P. halepensis colonizes recently disturbed areas by effective seedling recruitment, while Q. ilex resprouts vigorously after disturbances. For this reason, the natural regeneration of these species after fire should ensure the re-establishment of a forest similar to that which existed before the fire. This study analyzes with a simple simulation model whether or not the relative abundance of monospecific and mixed forests of these species in the landscape is altered by fire. We also analyze the topographic factors and the forest structure before the fire that determine the changes in forest composition after fire. This study has been carried out in a large fire that occurred in NE Spain. Overall, 33% of plots changed to another community type, but this probability of change varied considerably among community types before the fire. Monospecific forests of P. halepensis or Q. ilex had a high probability of remaining in their original composition after the fire, whereas the resilience of mixed forests of these two species was quite low. Mixed forests changed for the most part to monospecific P. halepensis or Q. ilex forests. Analysis of several factors determining these changes indicated that only elevation as a significant topographical variable. The effect of fire was to increase the altitudinal differentiation between the two species. P. halepensis forests that changed to mixed or Q. ilex forests were those of highest elevation, while the mixed and Q. ilex plots that changed to P. halepensis forests were those located at the lowest elevations. Concerning structural variables before fire, density of Q. ilex trees before the fire showed a much greater effect than P. halepensis density in determining the post-fire community. Finally, burn severity also influenced the changes observed. For both P. halepensis and Q. ilex forests, plots that changed to another forest type were mainly those that burned more severely. In the case of mixed forests, even low fire severities involved high probabilities of change to monospecific forests.     

Remote sensing approach to detect post-fire vegetation regrowth in Siberian boreal larch forest

Remote sensing with time series data offers considerable potential in the trajectory of post forest fire dynamics beyond the current monitoring of structural attributes that are displayed in the post-fire area. Many studies have addressed this topic by using time series remote sensing indices; however, this approach has sometimes been demonstrated as an unrealistic and biased representation of the post-fire forest patterns due to the saturation issues of vegetation indices. These saturation issues then lead to an underestimation of the forest successional stages and an overestimation of the forest recovery rate. This paper aims to develop a framework for trajectory of the post-fire forest patterns in the Siberian boreal larch forest (Larix sibirica) with the synergistic use of different remote sensing based vegetation-cover indicators derived from the Landsat time series and the WorldView-2 images. A time-series of the forest recovery index (FRI) and fractional vegetation cover (FVC) has been analyzed to estimate the rates of forest regeneration and vegetation recovery across different burn severity levels in the Siberian larch forest. The results showed that the FRI method can be used to observe the regrowth of the larch forest from the tenth year after the fire overlapping with the period of significant increase in the sapling stem volume. The post-fire larch forest canopy can fully recover to the pre-fire condition with respect to the magnitude of the FRI values after 30–47 years where the highest regeneration rate was observed in the moderate burn severity areas followed by the low and high burn severity. On the other hand, the FVC method was positively correlated with burn severity and more sensitive for evaluating the early stages of the forest succession in which the FVC dramatically increases after 5–6 years after the fire. The significant growth of FVC was accentuated by the maximum emergence of the sapling density as well as the rapid growth of herbaceous plants, grasses, shrubs, and shade-intolerant trees immediately after the fire, which could not be evaluated using the FRI. Both time series of the FRI and the FVC are valuable tools for determining the dominant stages of the post-fire larch forest succession in order to understand the relationships between fire disturbance and natural cycles of the boreal larch forest.     

Small mammal abundance in Mediterranean post-fire habitats: a role for predators?

We studied patterns of small mammal abundance and species richness in post-fire habitats by sampling 33 plots (225 m² each) representing different stages of vegetation recovery after fire. Small mammal abundance was estimated by live trapping during early spring 1999 and vegetation structure was sampled by visual estimation at the same plots. Recently–burnt areas were characterised by shrubby and herbaceous vegetation with low structural variability, and unburnt areas were characterised by well developed forest cover with high structural complexity. Small mammal abundance and species richness decreased with time elapsed since the last fire (from 5 to at least 50 years), and these differences were associated to the decreasing cover of short shrubs as the post-fire succession of plant communities advanced. However, relationships between vegetation structure and small mammals differed among areas burned in different times, with weak or negative relationship in recently burnt areas and positive and stronger relationship in unburnt areas. Furthermore, the abundance of small mammals was larger than expected from vegetation structure in plots burned recently whereas the contrary pattern was found in unburned areas. We hypothesised that the pattern observed could be related to the responses of small mammal predators to changes in vegetation and landscape structure promoted by fire. Fire-related fragmentation could have promoted the isolation of forest predators (owls and carnivores) in unburned forest patches, a fact that could have produced a higher predation pressure for small mammals. Conversely, small mammal populations would have been enhanced in early post-fire stages by lower predator numbers combined with better predator protection in areas covered by resprouting woody vegetation.     

黑龙江省大兴安岭林区火烧迹地森林更新及其影响因子

林火干扰是大兴安岭森林更新的影响因子之一,研究火烧迹地森林更新的影响因子(立地条件、火前植被、火干扰特征)对理解生态系统的结构、功能和火后演替轨迹具有重要意义。选取呼中及新林林业局55个代表性火烧样地,利用增强回归树分析法分析了火烧迹地森林更新的影响因素。结果表明:(1)立地条件是影响针、阔叶树更新苗密度的主要因素;海拔对针叶树更新苗密度的影响最大;坡度对阔叶树更新苗密度影响最大;(2)距上次火烧时间对针叶树更新苗比重影响最大,其次是林型;(3)中度林火干扰后森林更新状况好于轻度和重度火烧迹地。根据火烧迹地森林更新调查分析可知:林型影响火后演替模式,火前为针叶树或阔叶树纯林,火后易发生自我更新(火后树种更新组成与火前林型相同),而针阔混交林在火干扰影响下易于发生序列演替(火后初期以早期演替树种更新为主)。     

Wildfires in bamboo-dominated Amazonian forest: impacts on above-ground biomass and biodiversity

Fire has become an increasingly important disturbance event in south-western Amazonia. We conducted the first assessment of the ecological impacts of these wildfires in 2008, sampling forest structure and biodiversity along twelve 500 m transects in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, Acre, Brazil. Six transects were placed in unburned forests and six were in forests that burned during a series of forest fires that occurred from August to October 2005. Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) calculations, based on Landsat reflectance data, indicate that all transects were similar prior to the fires. We sampled understorey and canopy vegetation, birds using both mist nets and point counts, coprophagous dung beetles and the leaf-litter ant fauna. Fire had limited influence upon either faunal or floral species richness or community structure responses, and stems <10 cm DBH were the only group to show highly significant (p = 0.001) community turnover in burned forests. Mean aboveground live biomass was statistically indistinguishable in the unburned and burned plots, although there was a significant increase in the total abundance of dead stems in burned plots. Comparisons with previous studies suggest that wildfires had much less effect upon forest structure and biodiversity in these south-western Amazonian forests than in central and eastern Amazonia, where most fire research has been undertaken to date. We discuss potential reasons for the apparent greater resilience of our study plots to wildfire, examining the role of fire intensity, bamboo dominance, background rates of disturbance, landscape and soil conditions.     

Fire-scars and polymodal age-structure provide evidence of fire-events in an Aleppo pine population in southern France

Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) is adapted to fire, the most important disturbance in Mediterranean ecosystems. This species is known to be sensitive to fire and is usually killed when burned, but has a powerful regenerative capacity following burning. Sometimes, however, pines survive within burned areas, suggesting a certain potential for recording fire events in terms of age-structure and eventually scars. In the present study, fire scars on Aleppo pine trunks were used to construct a 150-year fire record in a burned forest in southern France. Four fires were detected with a mean fire return interval of 27 years: minimum 13 years and maximum 45 years. The age structure of the Aleppo pine population was analyzed on the basis of dated fire-scars in order to test the role of fire in creating the polymodal structure of the pine population. Results show the presence of multiple “cohorts” (subpopulations) of Aleppo pine. There appear to have been several pulses of tree recruitment, with the two largest cohorts corresponding to regeneration after the 1919 and 2000 fires. Other fires were recognized based on fire scars but these were not associated with obvious post-fire pine recruitment. Regeneration success is likely to depend on fire severity and on the length of fire-free intervals. Fire history and associated age-structure can thus be reconstructed using Aleppo pine stands.     

不同火烈度火烧迹地内油松叶功能性状的变化

叶功能性状对林火的响应是林火生态领域的研究热点之一,研究火后油松叶功能性状变化能够揭示油松为适应火环境形成的生长策略,为促进油松火后恢复提供参考。以山西省沁源县火烧迹地内油松为研究对象,选择当年生叶片分析叶功能性状在不同火烈度(未过火、轻度火烧、中度火烧)火烧迹地间的变化规律,并研究不同火烧迹地内叶经济谱的变化特征。结果表明: 除氮磷比外,叶功能性状在不同火烈度的火烧迹地间存在显著差异,其中,叶面积的差异最为明显,是最敏感的性状。随火烧迹地内火烈度的增加,叶面积、叶厚度、叶干物质含量、叶氮含量和叶磷含量升高,比叶面积、叶有机碳含量降低。部分叶功能性状间存在显著的相关关系,但其相关性在不同火烈度的火烧迹地间存在差异。叶经济谱沿着“未过火-轻度火烧-中度火烧”的火烧迹地环境总体向“快速投资-收益型”的资源权衡策略移动,低烈度火烧迹地内油松的生长恢复会加快。     

Fire-mediated dieback and compositional cascade in an Amazonian forest

The only fully coupled land-atmosphere global climate model predicts a widespread dieback of Amazonian forest cover through reduced precipitation. Although these predictions are controversial, the structural and compositional resilience of Amazonian forests may also have been overestimated, as current vegetation models fail to consider the potential role of fire in the degradation of forest ecosystems. We examine forest structure and composition in the Arapiuns River basin in the central Brazilian Amazon, evaluating post-fire forest recovery and the consequences of recurrent fires for the patterns of dominance of tree species. We surveyed tree plots in unburned and once-burned forests examined 1, 3 and 9 years after an unprecedented fire event, in twice-burned forests examined 3 and 9 years after fire and in thrice-burned forests examined 5 years after the most recent fire event. The number of trees recorded in unburned primary forest control plots was stable over time. However, in both once- and twice-burned forest plots, there was a marked recruitment into the 10-20cm diameter at breast height tree size classes between 3 and 9 years post-fire. Considering tree assemblage composition 9 years after the first fire contact, we observed (i) a clear pattern of community turnover among small trees and the most abundant shrubs and saplings, and (ii) that species that were common in any of the four burn treatments (unburned, once-, twice- and thrice-burned) were often rare or entirely absent in other burn treatments. We conclude that episodic wildfires can lead to drastic changes in forest structure and composition, with cascading shifts in forest composition following each additional fire event. Finally, we use these results to evaluate the validity of the savannization paradigm.     

基于3PGS-MTCLIM模型模拟根河林区火后植被净初级生产力恢复及其影响因子

林火是大兴安岭林区主要的干扰因子,且对森林生态系统的碳平衡有着重要影响.火干扰强度以及不同地形条件所导致的山地气候差异是影响火后植被净初级生产力恢复过程的主导因素.本研究以内蒙古根河林区为例,使用多时相的Landsat TM遥感数据(2008—2012年)和1980—2010年间的气象资料,结合山地小气候模型MTCLIM与光能利用效率模型3PGS,模拟森林火后植被净初级生产力(NPP)的时空恢复过程,并探讨不同火烧强度和地形因子对NPP恢复进程的影响.结果表明: 3PGS-MTCLIM模型能够较准确地在小尺度范围内模拟NPP的空间分布格局,模拟结果与样地具有较好的对应关系,R²=0.828;3PGS-MTCLIM模型模拟火后NPP下降百分比在43%~80%,相对于火前NPP水平该区域的平均恢复周期大约为10年;火烧强度对火后恢复具有显著影响,火烧强度越强,NPP恢复所需要的周期越长,火后NPP恢复速度呈现先快后慢的增长趋势;地形因子中,海拔对火后NPP恢复程度的影响最明显,其次为坡度,而坡向的影响最小.     

Wildfire damage evaluation by merging remote sensing with a fire area simulation model in Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan

Not only wildfire damage, but the failure of post-fire forest restoration is also one of the major threats for the conservation of forest ecosystems. Therefore, it is required to estimate wildfire damaged potential and recovery capacity to orientate the management of a post-fire community. The aim of our research is to estimate the resistibility against wildfire and the post-fire regeneration capacity by merging field observation data with Terra/ASTER Level1B satellite data and a fire area simulation model (FARSITE). As a result, the resistibility against wildfire and the post-fire regeneration capacity were high in the high prior-fire normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) areas, where the trees had been thriving. Also, after the fire, the well developed surface soil (the A horizon) provided a good environment for resprouting from unburned stumps and the rhizome. It is suggested that the thriving forests have a strong resistance against wildfire and have large regeneration capacity.     

Post-fire recovery of Mediterranean ground ant communities follows vegetation and dryness gradients

Aim In the Mediterranean Basin, the main forest communities vary in their ability to recover after fire. In this study we analyse the effects of fire on ant communities occurring in various vegetation types distributed along a geographical gradient in the western Mediterranean region. Location The study was carried out in burned and unburned habitats of 22 sites corresponding to eight vegetation types distributed along a gradient of dryness throughout Catalonia (north‐east Spain). Methods We placed five pairs of plots (one plot located in the burned area and the second one placed in the unburned margin) per site. We compared ant communities in these unburned and burned plot types 8 years after fire using pitfall traps. Traps were set out in mid‐May and mid‐July. We analysed the structure and composition of ant communities in the burned and unburned areas of these vegetation types using anova tests, correspondence analysis (CA) and linear regression. Results The resilience of ant communities varies with vegetation type. Ant communities in forests with high resilience also recover rapidly after fire, while those in forests that do not recover after fire show the lowest resilience. Species richness does not depend on burning or vegetation type. The resilience of these Mediterranean ant communities to fire is related to the environmental characteristics of the region where they live. Accordingly, differences between burned and unburned habitats are smaller for ant communities in areas with higher water deficit in summer than for those in moister ones. Main conclusions The structure and composition of ant communities after fire depends on the level of direct mortality caused by the fire. It affects ant species differently, as determined by the habitats used for nesting and foraging. The reestablishment of vegetation cover depends on forest composition before the fire. As vegetation cover determines resource and microhabitat availability and competitive relationships among species, forest composition before the fire also affects post‐fire recovery of ant communities to the medium‐term. Finally, ant communities living in drier areas recover more quickly after fire than those living in moister ones. This pattern might be because in areas with higher water deficit there are more species characteristic of open environments, which are habitats similar to those generated after fire.     

大兴安岭北部地区原始林白桦种群的世代结构

在景观火干扰历史重建的基础上,该文研究了大兴安岭北部地区原始林白桦(Betula platyphylla)种群的世代结构及其与火干扰、立地条件之间的关系。结果表明:白桦种群基于世代数的世代结构类型丰富,从一代型到五代型都有,空间分布呈斑块镶嵌状。以一代型与二代型为主要类型,空间分布集中,其它类型的世代结构空间异质性较高。世代数受火干扰频率、火干扰强度及两者的综合影响,相对来说以火干扰频率的影响更为显著。低频或高强类的火干扰易造成种群的世代数减少;高频或低强类的火干扰易造成世代数增多。世代数还随林型组类型而变化,以溪旁林组>赤杨(Alnus mandshurica)林组>杜香(Ledum palustre)林组。     

Importance of using many taxa and having adequate controls for monitoring impacts of fire for arthropod conservation

Fire is a key natural and anthropogenic disturbance factor across many ecosystems, and also an important conservation management tool. However, little is known about arthropod responses to fire, particularly in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, including the biodiverse Cape Floristic Region (CFR). We investigate here the relative variety of responses by different arthropod taxa to fire, and ask whether single-taxon or multi-taxa approaches better suit post-fire biomonitoring for conservation management. Sampling involved multiple techniques and was conducted before fire, 1 year after fire, and 3 years after fire, with unburned areas as controls. Before-and-after statistics were used to identify changes in arthropod populations and assemblages as a result of fire, and between treatment and control sites. However, this was against a background of the annual effects having a major influence on the arthropods, irrespective of fire. Abundance was so variable, even in control plots, that we found it an unreliable indicator of the impact of fire. Overall, arthropods were remarkably resilient to fire, with most taxa recovering in species richness and assemblage composition within 3 years of the fire. Although all taxa showed resilience to fire, there was nevertheless little congruence in temporal recovery of the various taxa. Our results highlight the shortcomings of monitoring fire impacts using only a single-taxon without prior testing for complementarity or sensitivity to fire, while emphasizing the importance of sampling a wide range of taxa to represent overall responses of compositional biodiversity. From this, we recommend, at least for the CFR, that a cross-section of taxa, such as butterflies, ants, and scarab beetles, be used for monitoring arthropods in recovery/fire management conservation programmes. We also recommend that such monitoring be considered against the background of large annual variation seen in unburned areas.     

兴安落叶松林火烧迹地土壤理化性质驱动因子

探索火烧迹地土壤理化性质的驱动因子是解释生态系统响应火干扰机制的重要组成部分。旨在分析兴安落叶松林火烧迹地土壤理化性质的决定因子,深入认识火干扰在北方森林生态系统所扮演的角色,为北方森林火烧迹地火后恢复、林业可持续发展提供科学支持和理论依据。以过火后1 a的兴安落叶松林火烧迹地为研究对象,设置了不同火烈度和立地条件的火烧迹地及对照研究样地共计35块。在每个研究样地记录了树种、胸径、存活状态等乔木数据,测量了坡向、坡位、坡度、海拔等地形数据,利用植被变化情况量化了火烈度。分别采集了0—5 cm和5—10 cm的土壤样品并测定其9种理化指标,对比了过火与未过火样地这些土壤理化指标的差异。然后,分析了各土壤理化指标与火烈度量化结果的关联趋势,比较了火烈度、地形和乔木因子对火烧迹地土壤理化性质的影响程度。与对照样地相比,火干扰提升了土壤理化指标观测值的离散程度,显著提高了0—5 cm土壤含水率(MC)(P<0.05)和5—10 cm土壤MC、总氮(TN)、总有机碳(TOC)含量(P<0.05)。土壤理化性质与火烈度有明显关联趋势的并不多,观察到0—5 cm土壤MC随火烈度指数的增加...     

Early post-fire regeneration dynamics of Brachypodium retusum Pers. (Beauv.) in old fields of the Valencia region (eastern Spain)

Extensive wildfires have affected the Valencia region in the last two decades. A large portion of the burnt areas has been localised in old fields. Although Mediterranean communities are usually resilient to fire and recover very quickly to the pre-fire state, burnt old fields with a low number of species could show poor recovery capacity. The response capacity of these systems to fire, and, especially, the role of the native herbaceous Brachypodium retusum were studied. Two years after fire, plant cover reached a value of 56 %. Resprouter species were more important in number and in specific cover. B. retusum represented the species with the highest contribution to total plant cover for all the study period. Total biomass in burnt plots was always lower than in unburnt plots. However, B. retusum green biomass showed a quick recovery to pre-disturbance levels, and below-ground biomass was similar in burnt and unburnt plots. Reproductive biomass greatly increased in burnt with respect to unburnt plots during the first post-fire year, with no stalk production in unburnt plots. B. retusum may be considered a promising species for the restoration of extremely degraded lands because of its high resilience to fire.     

Predicting Ecosystem Resilience to Fire from Tree Ring Analysis in Black Spruce Forests

Climate change has increased the occurrence, severity, and impact of disturbances on forested ecosystems worldwide, resulting in a need to identify factors that contribute to an ecosystem’s resilience or capacity to recover from disturbance. Forest resilience to disturbance may decline with climate change if mature trees are able to persist under stressful environmental conditions that do not permit successful recruitment and survival after a disturbance. In this study, we used the change in proportional representation of black spruce pre- to post-fire as a surrogate for resilience. We explored links between patterns of resilience and tree ring signals of drought stress across topographic moisture gradients within the boreal forest. We sampled 72 recently (2004) burned stands of black spruce in interior Alaska (USA); the relative dominance of black spruce after fire ranged from almost no change (high resilience) to a 90% decrease (low resilience). Variance partitioning analysis indicated that resilience was related to site environmental characteristics and climate–growth responses, with no unique contribution of pre-fire stand composition. The largest shifts in post-fire species composition occurred in sites that experienced the compounding effects of pre-fire drought stress and shallow post-fire organic layer thickness. These sites were generally located at warmer and drier landscape positions, suggesting they are less resilient to disturbance than sites in cool and moist locations. Climate–growth responses can provide an estimate of stand environmental stress to climate change and as such are a valuable tool for predicting landscape variations in forest ecosystem resilience.