Season of prescribed fire determines grassland restoration outcomes after fire exclusion and overgrazing
نویسندگان
چکیده
Fire exclusion and mismanaged grazing are globally important drivers of environmental change in mesic C4 grasslands savannas. Although interest is growing prescribed fire for grassland restoration, we have little long-term experimental evidence the influence burn season on recovery herbaceous plant communities, encroachment by trees shrubs, invasion exotic grasses. We conducted a experiment (seven burns between 2001 2019) historically fire-excluded overgrazed central Texas. Sites were assigned to one four treatments: summer (warm season, lightning season), fall (early cool winter (late or unburned (fire exclusion). To assess restoration outcomes experiment, 2019, identified old-growth serve as reference sites. Herbaceous-layer communities all sites compositionally functionally distinct from grasslands, with perennial grasses long-lived forbs. Unburned characterized several species tree, shrub, vine; certain C3 forbs; intermediate composition Despite compositional differences, treatments had comparable plot-level richness (range 89–95 species/1000 m2). At local-scale, (23 species/m2) (20 supported greater than (15 species/m2), but did not differ significantly Among treatments, most consistently produced vegetation structure (e.g., mean woody canopy cover 9%). But whereas promoted invasive grass Bothriochloa ischaemum maintaining areas low cover, simultaneously limited controlled B. invasion. Our results support body literature that shows alone, without introduction propagules, cannot necessarily restore community composition. Nonetheless, this demonstrates implemented can benefit preventing while also controlling an grass. suggest deserves attention planning ecological research.
منابع مشابه
Grassland Management With Prescribed Fire
This circular provides an overview of the use of fire in grassland management. It describes the history and importance of fire in the grassland ecosystem, how plants respond to fire, and the uses and potential benefits of prescribed fire. It also summarizes fire planning and legal and safety considerations. And finally, it provides guidance on some special uses of fire. when burning conditions ...
متن کاملFire Ecology and Fire Management in the Southern Appalachians: Rationale for and Effects of Prescribed Fire
Fire suppression in the Southern Appalachians has led to changes in forests dominated by yellow pine (Pinus subgenus pinus) and oak (Quercus) species. Recently, management agencies have begun to prescribe fire with the aim of restoring pre-suppression conditions. Here, I examine the use of prescribed fire in the Southern Appalachians from two perspectives. First, I review the values and goals t...
متن کاملInvestigating Effects of a Prescribed Spring Fire on Symbiosis between Mycorrhiza Fungi and Range Plant Species
Fire is one of the incorporate vegetation management practices for grasslands and semi-arid rangelands. It may affect symbiotic relationship between range plants and mycorrhiza. Accordingly, this research was aimed to investigate the effects of a spring prescribed fire on the symbiotic relationships between mycorrhiza and 6 plant species. The study was conducted in a semi-arid steppe rangeland ...
متن کاملVegetation dynamics after a prescribed fire in the southern Appalachians
In April 1995, the USDA Forest Service conducted a prescribed burn along with a south-facing slope of southern Appalachian watershed, Nantahala National Forest, western NC. Fire had been excluded for over 70 years and the purpose of the burn was to create a mosaic of fire intensities to restore a degraded pine/hardwood community and to stimulate forage production and promote oak regeneration al...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Ecosphere
سال: 2021
ISSN: ['2150-8925']
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3730