Forest Regeneration Above Tree Limit Depressed by Fire in the Colorado Front Range

Shankman, David; Daly, Christopher

doi:10.2307/2996159

Cited by 26 publications

(33 citation statements)

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“…Regenerating stands occurring on xeric sites favor a windswept, shelterless environment and are resistant to major abiotic disturbance events (Shankman andDaly 1988, Rebertus et al 1991). Understory vegetation may compete for growing space-limiting regeneration (Looney and Waring 2012), or it may facilitate establishment by providing protection (Maher et al 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Limber Pine Regeneration and White Pine Blister Rust in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains

Cleaver¹,

Jacobi²,

Burns³

et al. 2017

Forest Science

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Mountain pine beetle (MPB) and white pine blister rust (WPBR) cause mortality in limber pine and limber pine seedlings in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, USA. Seedlings can be killed rapidly by WPBR, and WPBR and bark beetles reduce cone and seed availability. In 2011 and 2012, we assessed occurrence, abundance, recent growth, and health status of limber pine seedlings in stands affected by WPBR and MPB. We determined biotic and abiotic factors influencing limber pine seedling density and terminal growth, and proportion of limber pine seedlings with WPBR. Live seedling density averaged 141 stems ha Ϫ1 and ranged from 0 to 1,935 stems ha Ϫ1 . Blister rust was the primary damage agent with 0 to 100% incidence. Diseased seedlings occurred on 30% of all plots. Seedling density was predicted by limber pine tree density, total tree density, percent ground cover as grass, and seedling height. The proportion of limber pine seedlings with WPBR was related to limber pine seedling height, cankers ha Ϫ1 , percent crown dieback of overstory, and density of trees with WPBR. Monitoring and restoration of stands, including planting on sites with adequate moisture and near objects with some overstory cover, are needed to ensure limber pine regeneration on some sites.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Limber Pine Regeneration and White Pine Blister Rust in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains

Cleaver¹,

Jacobi²,

Burns³

et al. 2017

Forest Science

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“…Shankman (1984) found a high rate of tree establishment near the tree limit in areas burned in the early 1900s at Niwot Ridge, suggesting that the treeline here is persistent under modern climate conditions. In a regional study that included Niwot Ridge, Shankman and Daly (1988) also found continuous regeneration after fire at the upper tree limit except in two sites where they speculate lack of seed dispersal (rather than climate) may limit recovery.…”

Section: Disturbance and Herbivorymentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Treeline surveys specifically focused on Niwot Ridge have found patterns similar to more regional trends (Shea 1985;Shankman and Daly 1988;Humphries et al 2008), although they also highlight how interactions between climate and other factors control treeline dynamics. Perhaps more than other sites in the region, seedling establishment in the alpine tundra on Niwot Ridge appears to be strongly controlled by soil moisture and wind (Shea 1985;Humphries et al 2008;Moyes et al 2013).…”

Section: Meso-scale Distribution Of Subalpine (Treeline) and Subnivalmentioning

confidence: 95%

Vegetation change at high elevation: scale dependence and interactive effects on Niwot Ridge

Suding

Farrer

King

et al. 2015

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background: High-elevation mountain systems may be particularly responsive to climate change. Aims: Here we investigate how changes along elevation gradients in mountain systems can aid in predicting vegetation distributional changes in time, focusing on how changing climatic controls affect meso-scale transitions at the lower and upper boundaries of alpine vegetation (with forest and subnival zones, respectively) as well as micro-scale transitions among plant communities within the alpine belt. We focus on climate-related drivers, particularly in relation to climate change, but also consider how species interactions, dispersal and responses to disturbance may influence plant responses to these abiotic drivers. Results: Empirical observations and experimental studies indicate that changing climatic controls influence both meso-scale transitions at the upper and lower boundaries of alpine vegetation and micro-scale transitions among plant communities within tundra. Micro-scale heterogeneity appears to buffer response in many cases, while interactions between climate and other changes may often accelerate change. Conclusions: Interactions with microtopography and larger edaphic gradients have the capacity to both facilitate rapid changes and reinforce stability, and that these interactions will affect the responsiveness of vegetation to climate change at different spatial scales.

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“…However, as the frequency distribution of additional physiographic factors (e.g., slope angle) changes with increasing elevation (e.g., fewer gentle slopes available at higher elevation), upslope migrating species will encounter increasingly unsuitable conditions forests themselves can cause the mortality of large populations of trees at the treeline. For example, fires in the Colorado Front Range (Shankman and Daly 1988) and the Cascades National Park (Hemstrom andFranklin 1982, Stueve et al 2009) of the western USA, severely burned extensive areas of high-elevation forest, effectively lowering the existing treeline. Secondly, the destruction of seedlings established upslope by fire may prevent the advance of treelines.…”

Section: Regional and Local Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of alpine treelines: positive feedbacks and global, regional and local controls

Kim¹,

Lee²

2015

J. Ecol. Environ.

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Whilst it is clear that increasing temperatures from global environmental change will impact the positions of alpine treelines, it is likely that a range of regional and local scaled factors will mediate the overall impact of global scale climate drivers. We summarized 12 categories of abiotic and biotic factors as 4 groups determining treeline positions. First, there are global factors related to climate-induced growth limitation and carbon limitation. Second, there are seven regional and local factors related to treeline dynamics including frost stress, topography, water stress, snow, wind, fire and nonfire disturbance. Third, species-specific factors can control treeline dynamics through their influence on reproduction and life history traits. Fourth, there are positive feedbacks in structuring the dynamics of treelines. Globally, the commonly accepted growth limitation hypothesis is that growth at a treeline is limited by temperature. Meanwhile, positive feedbacks between canopy cover and tree establishment are likely to control the spatial pattern and temporal dynamics of many treelines. The presence of non-linear dynamics at treelines has implications for the use of treelines as barometers of climate change because the lagged responses and abrupt shifts inherent in non-equilibrium systems may combine to mask the overall climate trend.

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Forest Regeneration Above Tree Limit Depressed by Fire in the Colorado Front Range

Cited by 26 publications

References 0 publications

Limber Pine Regeneration and White Pine Blister Rust in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains

Limber Pine Regeneration and White Pine Blister Rust in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains

Vegetation change at high elevation: scale dependence and interactive effects on Niwot Ridge

Dynamics of alpine treelines: positive feedbacks and global, regional and local controls

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