Fire history and understorey vegetation: Water and nutrient relations of Eucalyptus gomphocephala and E. delegatensis overstorey trees

Close, DC; Davidson, Neil J.; Swanborough, Perry W.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.03.025

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The effects of plantations on the ecosystem responses are often site specific (Close et al 2011); however, in general trees use more water than co-occurring herbaceous and grassland species (Engel et al 2005), and eucalyptus species are particularly water demanding (Jackson and Baker 2010). For example, plantations, in general, reduce total annual stream flow by 38% vs. grasslands (Jackson and Baker 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Howlers Are Able to Survive in Eucalyptus Plantations Where Remnant and Regenerating Vegetation Is Available

et al. 2011

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Reversing forest loss through reforestation has become a critical strategy to decrease global climate change, and such programs are more likely to be initiated if they can produce a subsequent monetary gain for the host country. As a result, the planting of monocultures of harvestable trees has become widespread and the practice is accelerating. However, little is known about the effect of such reforestation strategies on biodiversity. Here we quantify the demographic patterns of a population of black howlers (Alouatta pigra) living in a 200-ha eucalyptus plantation with connected remnant forests in southeastern Mexico. We compare our results to data from the literature from forest fragments, extensive forest tracts, and different agrosystems. The howler population inhabiting the plantation grew from 69 individuals in 2007 to 77 in 2008 (11.6% growth) and to 84 in 2009 (9.1% growth). During this time the howlers fed extensively on the native vegetation that was growing under the eucalyptus, vines that grew on the plantation trees, and adjacent areas of native secondary growth, but they almost never fed on eucalyptus. Howler Int J Primatol (2012) 33:233-245 density in the plantation was greater than in extensive forest tracts or forest fragments, whereas mean group size was similar to that in the forest tracts and greater than in the fragments and agrosystems. There was no apparent difference in the adult female-to-immature ratio among sites. Our results indicate that plantations that have associated native vegetation can play a positive role in the conservation of this species, but suggest that harvesting regimens must be carefully orchestrated to prevent associated food scarcity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Howlers Are Able to Survive in Eucalyptus Plantations Where Remnant and Regenerating Vegetation Is Available

et al. 2011

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“…We found significantly developed under-and mid-storey vegetation and decreased C isotope discrimination (increased C 13 :C 12 isotope ratio) on sites of long unburnt history, consistent with greater water limitation (Farquhar et al 1982;Farquhar and Richards 1984) in overstorey trees on sites of long unburnt history in both E. gomphocephala in Western Australia and in E. delegatensis in Tasmania. Further that foliar Zn, Cu and P concentrations were negatively correlated with tree decline severity in overstorey E. gomphocephala in Western Australia and in E. delegatensis in Tasmania, respectively (hypothesised to be due to deficiency of these nutrients in trees in decline), and that there was no evidence for luxury nitrogen uptake as a result of soil N accumulation in the absence of fire (Close et al 2011). In light of these findings we posed the following hypotheses towards the question: 'can land management redress the decline of old, overstorey eucalypts?'…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a recent study we investigated overstorey E. gomphocephala in Western Australia and Eucalyptus delegatensis in Tasmania on sites of histories of either a long absence of fire or frequent fire where overstorey tree decline was apparent (Close et al 2011). We found significantly developed under-and mid-storey vegetation and decreased C isotope discrimination (increased C 13 :C 12 isotope ratio) on sites of long unburnt history, consistent with greater water limitation (Farquhar et al 1982;Farquhar and Richards 1984) in overstorey trees on sites of long unburnt history in both E. gomphocephala in Western Australia and in E. delegatensis in Tasmania.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does low-intensity surface fire increase water- and nutrient-availability to overstorey Eucalyptus gomphocephala?

Davidson

Swanborough

et al. 2011

Plant Soil

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The objective of this study was to investigate how the management practices of prescribed fire and understorey vegetation removal affect water and nutrient relations of old, yet prematurely declining Eucalyptus gomphocephala. Long unburnt sites were established in Yalgorup National Park, Western Australia, adjacent to frequently burnt state forest sites. Trees were allocated to vegetation clearing, prescribed fire or no prescribed fire treatments. Prescribed fire was achieved in only one long unburnt national park site so that the results were pseudoreplicated but analysed accordingly. Soil chemistry, plant nutrient availability and tree foliar carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio and nutrient concentration were investigated. No effects of vegetation clearing were found. Prescribed fire sites were associated with sky exposure and bare ground whereas no prescribed fire sites were associated with shrub and litter cover and litter depth. Foliar carbon isotope ratios were significantly more negative in prescribed fire, relative to no prescribed fire, treatments on long unburnt sites. Soil exchangeable Zn and Mn and plant available (estimated by charged resin beads) Mg were higher on prescribed fire, relative to no prescribed fire, long unburnt sites. Seedling bioassays indicated elevated P and Cu availability on prescribed fire, relative to no prescribed fire, treatments. In overstorey E. gomphocephala, foliar N levels were elevated (but not to excessive levels), and there was a trend toward elevated foliar Mn, in prescribed fire relative to no prescribed fire treatments on long unburnt sites. In the context of our large-scale pseudoreplicated case study, prescribed fire provided a pulse of water and N, (with some indications towards provision of elevated Mn, Cu and Mg) availability to E. gomphocephala in decline on sites with a history of a long absence of fire that may in part underpin observations of elevated tree health on sites that have a history of relatively frequent fire.

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“…Increased time since fire was significantly correlated with changing vegetation structure, particularly with increased shrublayer height, in the open forest community. Other studies have found the understorey (shrub and subcanopy) of sclerophyll systems to become structurally complex in the prolonged intervals between fire events (Russell-Smith et al 2004;Close et al 2011;Parsons and Gosper 2011;Gosper et al 2012;Scott et al 2012). Lewis et al (2012) reported that understorey fireprone species were replaced by rainforest species when fire intervals were increased in a long-term experimental plot located within the same tall-open forest community as was studied here.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…High-frequency fire regimes have also been shown to increase fine fuel loads such as grasses, in turn further increasing the frequency of fire (Hoffmann et al 2012;Scott et al 2012). Conversely, an absence of fire can cause understorey strata to develop to a stage where fine fuels are scarce and the probability of fire is decreased (Close et al 2011;Scott et al 2012;Williams et al 2012). Habitat fragmentation can alter the frequency and intensity of fire regimes (Driscoll et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do habitat fragmentation and fire influence variation of plant species composition, structure and diversity within three regional ecosystems on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia?

Etherington

Shapcott

2014

Aust. J. Bot.

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Abstract.Habitat fragmentation is considered to be one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Species richness is predicted to decrease with decreasing patch size and increasing isolation, and this has been shown in some ecosystems. However, few studies have specifically investigated the effects of fragmentation on specific vegetation types, or compared different vegetation types within the same region. In this study, we assessed the influence of habitat fragmentation and time since fire on the floristic composition, structure and diversity of three ecosystems with varying fire proneness within the Sunshine Coast region. This study found that the tall-open forest ecosystem (RE 12.9-10.14) had higher overall species richness within fixed sample areas used for this study than did either open forest (RE 12.5.3) or gallery rainforest (RE 12.3.1), because it was composed of species typical of each of these ecosystem types. Open forest species richness was found mostly in the lower stratum, whereas gallery rainforest diversity was found in the upper stratum. Species richness decreased with increasing isolation in the open forest ecosystem where seeds are mostly abiotically dispersed. However, this study did not find strong evidence for reduced species richness within smaller patches in any ecosystem type studied; instead, finding species richness decreased with increasing patch size in the open forest ecosystem. Overall, across ecosystems, time since fire affected vegetation structure, but in fire-prone ecosystems, time since fire was not a determinant of species richness within the sites studied.

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Fire history and understorey vegetation: Water and nutrient relations of Eucalyptus gomphocephala and E. delegatensis overstorey trees

Cited by 17 publications

References 45 publications

Howlers Are Able to Survive in Eucalyptus Plantations Where Remnant and Regenerating Vegetation Is Available

Howlers Are Able to Survive in Eucalyptus Plantations Where Remnant and Regenerating Vegetation Is Available

Does low-intensity surface fire increase water- and nutrient-availability to overstorey Eucalyptus gomphocephala?

Do habitat fragmentation and fire influence variation of plant species composition, structure and diversity within three regional ecosystems on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia?

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