Fire history of an isolated subalpine mountain range of the Intermountain Region,United States

Fire has historically been an important ecological component of forests in the Intermountain Region of the northwestern United States. This study is set in a small biogeographically disjunct mountain range. Our research objectives were to (1) investigate the historical frequency, severity, size, and spatial pattern of fire; (2) determine if and how fire regimes have changed since Euro-American settlement; and (3) compare how fire regimes of a small isolated range compare to nearby, but considerably larger, mountain agglomerations. Our findings suggest that this mountain range has historically supported fires typified by small size and high frequency, resulting in a high degree of spatial pattern complexity compared to mountain agglomerations. We also found disparity in size and burn severity solely within the study area based on the bisecting Continental Divide. Since the advent of Euro-American settlement in the 1870s, fire frequency and sizes of individual fires in the West Big Hole Range have significantly decreased resulting in an estimated 87% reduction in area burned. We discuss potential relationships of mountain range isolation and fire regimes in the Intermountain Region. Furthermore, we suggest that the relative small size of this mountain range predisposes it to greater anthropogenic effects upon fire occurrence.     

Resprouting in the Mediterranean‐type shrub Erica australis afffected by soil resource availability

Abstract. Soil resource availability may affect plant regeneration by resprouting in disturbed environments directly, by affecting plant growth rates, or indirectly by determining allocation to storage in the resprouting organs. Allocation to storage may be higher in stressful, low resource‐supply soils, but under such conditions plant growth rates may be lower. These factors could act in opposite directions leading to poorly known effects on resprouting. This paper analyses the role played by soil resources in the production and growth of resprouts after removal of above‐ground plant tissues in the Mediterranean shrub Erica australis. At 13 sites, differing in substrate, we cut the base of the stems of six plants of E. australis and allowed them to resprout and grow for two years. Soils were chemically analysed and plant water potential measured during the summer at all sites to characterize soil resource availability. We used stepwise regression analysis to determine the relationships between the resprouting response [mean site values of the number of resprouts (RN), maximum length (RML) and biomass (RB)] and soil nutrient content and plant water potential at each site. During the first two years of resprouting there were statistically significant differences among sites in the variables characterizing the resprouting response. RML was always different among sites and had little relationship with lignotuber area. RN was less different among sites and was always positively correlated with lignotuber area. RB was different among sites after the two years of growth. During the first months of resprouting, RN and RML were highly and positively related to the water status of the plant during summer. At later dates soil fertility variables came into play, explaining significant amounts of variance of the resprouting variables. Soil extractable cations content was the main variable accounting for RML and RB. Our results indicate that resprout growth of E. australis is positively affected by high water availability at the beginning of the resprouting response and negatively so by high soil extractable cation content at later periods. Some of these factors had previously shown to be related, with an opposite sign, to the development of a relatively larger lignotuber. Indeed, RML and RB measured in the second year of resprouting were significantly and negatively correlated with some indices of biomass allocation to the lignotuber at each site. This indicates that sites favouring allocation to the resprouting organ may not favour resprout growth.     

Establishment of the introduced kelp Undaria pinnatifida in Tasmania depends on disturbance to native algal assemblages

Despite recent rapid increases in the occurrence of nonindigenous marine organisms in the marine environment, few studies have critically examined the invasion process for a marine species. Here we use manipulative experiments to examine processes of invasion for the Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar at two sites on the east coast of Tasmania. Disturbance to reduce cover of the native algal canopy was found to be critical in the establishment of U. pinnatifida, while the presence of a stable native algal canopy inhibited invasion. In the first sporophyte growth season following disturbance of the canopy, U. pinnatifida recruited in high densities (up to 19 plants m⁻²) while remaining rare or absent in un-manipulated plots. The timing of disturbance was also important. U. pinnatifida recruited in higher densities in plots where the native canopy was removed immediately prior to the sporophyte growth season (winter 2000), compared with plots where the canopy was removed 6 months earlier during the period of spore release (spring 1999). Removal of the native canopy also resulted in a significant increase in cover of sediment on the substratum. In the second year following canopy removal, U. pinnatifida abundance declined significantly, associated with a substantial recovery of native canopy-forming species. A feature of the recovery of the native algal canopy was a significant shift in species composition. Species dominant prior to canopy removal showed little if any signs of recovery. The recovery was instead dominated by canopy-forming species that were either rare or absent in the study areas prior to manipulation of the canopy.     

Drought and the organization of tree-hole mosquito communities

Summary In southeastern North America (North Florida, USA), the duration, frequency, and timing of drought differentially affect the survivorship of pre-adult tree-hole mosquitoes. Drought affects survivorship both by the direct action of dehydration on developing larvae and pupae and by the indirect modulation of predation. The drought-susceptible species, Toxorhynchites rutilus, Orthopodomyia signifera, and Anopheles barberi co-occur in more permanent holes that are larger, with larger, more vertical openings, lower down in larger trees, and contain darker water with higher conductivity, pH, and tannin-lignin content than the holes occupied by Aedes triseriatus that has drought-resistant eggs and rapid larval development. Ovipositing mosquitoes cue on physical and chemical attributes of tree holes independently of host tree species. These same attributes differ among drought-prone and drought-resistant holes but mosquitoes track these attributes more faithfully than the attributes predict tree-hole stability.     

When is an island not an island? Insular effects and their causes in fynbos shrublands

Summary According to the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, insularisation will lead to species loss from habitat remnants. Extinctions will continue untill species number equilibrates at a level appropriate for the size and isolation of the island remnants. We tested whether insularisation leads to species loss by comparing plant species numbers on islands of fynbos shrublands surrounded by Afrotemperate evergreen forest with extensive mainland tracts of fynbos. Species area curves for islands and subsamples of mainland had significantly different slopes (z _island=0.43, z _mainland=0.16). Small islands had the fewest species (less than one fifth) relative to mainland samples of similar size. The species area curves intersect at 590 ha so that reserve sizes of this order of magnitude are needed to avoid species losses relative to extensive areas of fynbos.We compared traits of species on islands and mainlands to determine processes most affected by insularisation. Island floras did not differ from the mainland in the mix of dispersal types, pollinator syndromes or proportion of dioecious species. Islands did have significantly fewer species of low stature and significantly more species that survive fire only as seed and not by resprouting. We infer that the main cause of species loss is change in disturbance frequency. Islands have fewer fires and lose species dependent on frequent fires. We predict that island effects could be reduced by judicious fire management of small reserves.     

Seedling recruitment ofChamaecyparis obtusa andSciadopitys verticillata in different microenvironments in an old-growthSciadopitys verticillata forest

Seedling recruitment ofChamecyparis obtusa andSciadopitys verticillata in different microenvironments in an old-growthS. verticillata forest was studied for five years. Exposed mineral soil beneath a gap, which was newly created by a typhoon, supported the best seedling emergence forC. obtusa. S. verticillata seemed to require no specific microenvironment for its seedling emergence. Mortality of seedlings was higher for both species beneath a closed canopy, where all new seedlings ofC. obtusa died within a year after their emergence. Beneath the gap, mortality of seedlings was generally lower for both species, regardless of the presence of litter on the ground. The occurrence of saplings was more frequent forC. obtusa beneath the gaps and forS. verticillata beneath a closed canopy. Difference of seedling recruitment behaviour could maintain the coexistence ofC. obtusa andS. verticillata in the canopy layer of this forest in a non-equilibrium state caused by occasional disturbance.     

Tree species regeneration in a mid-elevation,temperate rain forest in Isla de Chiloé, Chile

The regeneration of canopy and subeanopy species in a mid-elevation, primary rain forest in the Coastal Range of Isla de Chiloé (42°30S), in the cold-temperate region of Chile, was studied by comparing seedling and sapling abundances under the forest canopy, and within 36 tree-fall gaps. The forest was dominated byAmomyrtus luma andLaurelia philippiana (33 and 32% of the main canopy individuals), and two subcanopy species (Myrceugenia ovata, andMyrceugenia planipes) were also important. Uncommon species in the canopy wereDrimys winteri, Amomyrtus meli, andRaphithamnus spinosus. Tree-fall gaps were created generally by the fall of several trees, and the main canopy species were the principal gap-makers. Gap sizes varied between 28 and 972 m², with a mean of 197 m². Seedling and sapling abundances indicate that the dominant species are capable of regenerating below the canopy, but they also germinate and show enhanced growth within small light gaps. For one of the common subcanopy species (M. planipes) and the two infrequent canopy species (D. winteri, andA. meli) regeneration seems to depend entirely on tree-fall gaps. Thus, in this forest, light gaps allow the persistence of infrequent canopy species, but seem less important for the regeneration and maintenance of dominant canopy species.     

Tree replacement patterns in subalpine Abies-Betula forests,Wolong Natural Reserve,China

Vegetation in canopy gaps of two old-growth Abies-Betula forest stands, one with bamboo the other without, was measured. The structure of gap vegetation at each site was used to derive tree replacement probabilities. Transition probabilities indicate different tree replacement trends in forests with bamboo compared to those without. Projected compositions show Betula to be the most abundant species in bamboo stands while Abies remains most abundant where bamboo was absent. A dense bamboo sward seems to reduce the probability of Abies filling gaps by inhibiting establishment and growth of seedlings. Bamboo preempts space after canopy gap formation by increasing shoot production which reduces opportunities for establishment and growth of other woody species. Differences in dispersal ability and longevity of Abies and Betula appear to be important factors contributing to their coexistence forests with a small canopy gap disturbance regime.     

The gap theory in forest dynamics

Since the late 1970s, ecologists interested in forest dynamics have focused their attention to the responses of individuals, populations and communities to “gaps” which are openings created in the forest canopy. This review intended to introduce some collective knowledge on major subjects of the gap theory in forest dynamics, in relation to gap-disturbance regimes, tree regeneration behaviour and community structure.     

Influence of canopy opening on the environment and herb layer in a northern hardwoods forest

Single- (33–37 m²) and multi-tree (51–151 m²) gaps were created in an Allegheny Plateau northern hard-woods forest to investigate environmental and herb layer response to canopy opening. After gap creation, noon light on clear summer days was brightest north of opening center. At other times of the day, and when skies were overcast, there was no difference in the light quantity beneath opened and closed canopy. Nor was the distribution of soil moisture or of soil or air temperature greatly affected by gap creation. Species establishment tended to be higher near opening centers; otherwise, there was no pronounced effect of canopy opening on plant cover or species richness during the first four years after gap creation. Biotic responses were not significantly correlated with any environmental factor.