How climate change might affect tree regeneration following fire at northern latitudes: a review

Abstract

Climate change is projected to increase fire severity and frequency in the boreal forest, but it could also directly affect post-fire recruitment processes by impacting seed production, germination, and seedling growth and survival. We reviewed current knowledge regarding the effects of high temperatures and water deficits on post-fire recruitment processes of four major tree species (Picea mariana, Pinus banksiana, Populus tremuloides and Betula papyrifera) in order to anticipate the effects of climate change on forest recovery following fire in the boreal biome. We also produced maps of future vulnerability of post-fire recruitment by combining tree distributions in Canada with projections of temperature, moisture index and fire regime for the 2041-2070 and 2071-2100 periods. Although our review reveals that information is lacking for some regeneration stages, it highlights the response variability to climate conditions between species. The recruitment process of black spruce is likely to be the most affected by rising temperatures and water deficits, but more tolerant species are also at risk of being impacted by projected climate conditions. Our maps suggest that in eastern Canada, tree species will be vulnerable mainly to projected increases in temperature, while forests will be affected mostly by droughts in western Canada. Coniferdominated forests are at risk of becoming less productive than they currently are, and eventually, timber supplies from deciduous species-dominated forests could also decrease. Our vulnerability maps are useful for prioritizing areas where regeneration monitoring efforts and adaptive measures could be developed.

Regional Climate, Edaphic Conditions and Establishment Substrates Interact to Influence Initial Growth of Black Spruce and Jack Pine Planted in the Boreal Forest

“…Several studies have confirmed the influence of precipitation regime and soil conditions on jack pine establishment in the boreal forest [77][78][79]. Jack pine generally performs better than black spruce in dry conditions [25,[80][81][82]. Well-drained surface deposits, including till, fluvio-glacial expanses and lacustrine and sandy deposits, promote jack pine growth [83][84][85][86].…”

“…Future climate change will directly affect tree growing conditions in the boreal forest zone [92]. In eastern Canada, tree species will be particularly vulnerable to temperature increases [25]. Our analyses allowed us to identify regional, stand and microsite variables that affect the growth of recently planted black spruce and jack pine seedlings.…”

“…It is important to identify the interactions between regional climate variables, stand characteristics and local planting conditions so that practitioners can adapt reforestation practices to reflect their respective regional situations. Incorporating these interactions into site planning would further ensure successful plantation establishment in the context of ongoing global change that will have significant effects on temperature and precipitation patterns and, consequently, on the conditions for tree establishment [21][22][23][24][25]. The subsequent application of this knowledge would have immediate effects on silvicultural practices and the productivity of managed forest stands.…”

Fifty years of wildland fire science in Canada

“…Extreme fires in the past decade have raised concerns that the ecological resilience of (Girard et al 2009(Girard et al , 2011Whitman et al 2018bWhitman et al , 2019. The probability of post-fire tree regeneration failure is expected to increase across forests types in the future with the projected increase in fire activity, warm temperatures, and drought (Whitman et al 2018b;Splawinski et al 2019;Boucher et al 2020).…”

Influence of provenance origin on the early performance of two sclerophyllous Mediterranean species established in burned drylands

“…There is still a gap in the information on the outplanting performance after a severe fire in relation to seed-source provenance for both species, causing concerns of the appropriate seed sources for restoration under climatic change context. Severe fires are known to cause losses of organic matter and nutrients, increases soil erosion 31 and spatial variation of the soil properties, decreases in site productivity 32 , and plant growth, and survival 33 , and decreases in post-fire recruitment 34 . As seedlings experience higher rates of mortality in the first year after planting, monitoring the early performance can give guidelines for achieving restoration goals.…”