Positive feedbacks between plant invasions and fire regimes: Teline monspessulana (L.) K. Koch (Fabaceae) in central Chile

Pauchard, Aníbal; Garcı́a, R.; Peña, Eduardo de la; González, Cristian; Cavieres, Lohengrin A.; Bustamante, Ramiro O.

doi:10.1007/s10530-007-9151-8

Cited by 81 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In line with this, different studies on the sclerophyllous matorral of central Chile have shown that a signifi cant proportion of the seed bank in the soil can remain viable after low and medium intensity fi res, and also these fi res can eventually stimulate seed germination in some species (Pauchard et al 2008, Figueroa et al 2009, Gómez-González & Cavieres 2009, which may explain the greater importance of seed bank survival in relation to seed dispersal for establishment of plants naturalized in burned areas (Gómez-González et al 2011). On the other hand, high intensity fi re has negative effects on the viability of this same seed bank (Gómez-González & Cavieres 2009).…”

Section: Fire Intensitymentioning

confidence: 68%

“…With regard to the replacement of native by exotic plants, in central Chile the literature suggests the existence of positive feedback between regeneration of exotic species and fire frequency (Pauchard et al 2008). This mechanism suggests that fires promote the reproduction of highly inflammable exotic species, and that the continuous regeneration of these species increases fire frequency.…”

Section: Positive Feedbackmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, it has been suggested that the common practice of the use of fi re in central Chile may be a cause of the spread of naturalized plants with colonizing attributes (Pauchard et al 2008, Figueroa et al 2009). For example, fi re may permit the spread of species with morpho-physiological traits, such as seeds which are sensitive to heat, smoke, chemical compounds found in post-fi re soils or it may facilitate the spread of species with ecological traits that are susceptible to changes in the abundance of species affected by the fi re (Brose et al 1999, Sax 2002, Pauchard et al 2008, Figueroa et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Towards the southern end of the American continent, in central Chile, fi re may facilitate colonization by both some native grasses and mainly exotic annual grasses with high growth rates (Sax 2002, Gómez-González et al 2011. In this region high intensity fi re may even stimulate germination of some colonizing native woody species (Muñoz & Fuentes 1989, Gómez-González et al 2008) and its action may even generate conditions for the perpetuation of invasive exotic woody species (Pauchard et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Montenegro et al 2002, Pauchard et al 2008, Figueroa et al 2009, Gómez-González & Cavieres 2009, Gómez-González et al 2011. Never theless, there are still improvements to be made in the characterization of the fire regimen in central Chile in order to better understand its role in exotic plant invasion (Figueroa et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fire regimen and spread of plants naturalized in central Chile

Contreras

Figueroa

Abarca

et al. 2011

Rev. chil. hist. nat.

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Setting fi res is an old practice of land management in the Mediterranean region of central Chile. Fire in the region is currently of predominantly human origin and previously published material suggests that the scheduling of these activities is associated with the spread of naturalized exotic species. Research into the effects of fi re on both native and exotic Mediterranean vegetation in central Chile has increased notably over recent years. The objective of our review is to highlight new knowledge in this area of research from the last 30 years and to contribute to systematization and an explicit conceptual model which takes into account the effect of a fi re regimen on the spread of exotic plants and the mechanisms involved. We begin with analyses of the fi re regimen which is currently obser ved in one Region of central Chile and a subsequent exploration of the literature to identify the attributes mainly of the germination of seeds which are sensitive to fi re and which apply to the exotic species that are abundantly naturalized in central Chile. According to the studies consulted, diverse mechanisms have been described which involve the effect of fi re on the spread of exotic plants in central Chile. Life-histor y traits, tolerance, facilitation, and positive feedback between exotic plants and fi re frequency have been mechanisms reported in the literature. Finally, we propose a conceptual model which represents dispersal assisted by humans of exotic species and the spread of species naturalized by the effect of fi re regimens, which helps explain the composition and structure of the matorral of central Chile in an early successional state.Key words: central Chile, exotic plant, fi re, germination, naturalized plant. RESUMENLos incendios son una antigua práctica del uso del suelo en la región mediterránea de Chile central. Actualmente en esta región, los incendios son principalmente de origen humano y los antecedentes publicados permiten sugerir que su régimen está asociado a la expansión de especies exóticas naturalizadas. Las investigaciones sobre el efecto de los incendios sobre la vegetación mediterránea tanto nativa como exótica en Chile central ha incrementado notablemente durante los últimos años. El objetivo de nuestra revisión fue resaltar los nuevos conocimientos en esta área de la investigación durante los últimos 30 años y contribuir a una sistematización y a un modelo conceptual explícito que incorpore los efectos del régimen de incendios en la expansión de plantas exóticas y en los mecanismos involucrados. Para ello se describe el régimen de incendios que actualmente se presenta en una región de Chile central y se realiza una exploración de la literatura para conocer principalmente los atributos de la germinación de las semillas sensibles a incendio que se encuentran en especies exóticas que están naturalizadas abundantemente en Chile central. De acuerdo a los estudios abordados, se han descrito diversos mecanismos que involucran el efecto de los incendios sobre la expansión de plan...

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Section: Fire Intensitymentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Positive Feedbackmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Fire regimen and spread of plants naturalized in central Chile

Contreras

Figueroa

Abarca

et al. 2011

Rev. chil. hist. nat.

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Spreaders, igniters, and burning shrubs: plant flammability explains novel fire dynamics in grass‐invaded deserts

Fuentes‐Ramírez

Veldman

Holzapfel

et al. 2016

Ecological Applications

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Novel fire regimes are an important cause and consequence of global environmental change that involve interactions among biotic, climatic, and human components of ecosystems. Plant flammability is key to these interactions, yet few studies directly measure flammability or consider how multiple species with different flammabilities interact to produce novel fire regimes. Deserts of the southwestern USA are an ideal system for exploring how novel fire regimes can emerge when fire-promoting species invade ecosystems comprised of species that did not evolve with fire. In these deserts, exotic annual grasses provide fuel continuity across landscapes that did not historically burn. These fires often ignite a keystone desert shrub, the fire-intolerant creosote bush, Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coville. Ignition of Larrea is likely catalyzed by fuels produced by native plants that grow beneath the shrubs. We hypothesize that invasive and native species exhibit distinct flammability characteristics that in combination determine spatial patterns of fire spread and intensity. We measured flammability metrics of Larrea, two invasive grasses, Schismus arabicus and Bromus madritensis, and two native plants, the sub-shrub Ambrosia dumosa and the annual herb Amsinckia menziesii. Results of laboratory experiments show that the grasses carry fire quickly (1.32 cm/sec), but burn for short duration (0.5 min) at low temperatures. In contrast, native plants spread fire slowly (0.12 cm/sec), but burn up to eight times longer (4 min) and produced hotter fires. Additional experiments on the ignition requirements of Larrea suggest that native plants burn with sufficient temperature and duration to ignite dead Larrea branches (time to ignition: 2 min; temperature at ignition 692 °C). Once burning, these dead branches ignite living branches in the upper portions of the shrub. Our study provides support for a conceptual model in which exotic grasses are "spreaders" of fire and native plants growing beneath shrubs are "igniters" of dead Larrea branches. Once burning, flames produced by dead branches engulf the entire shrub, resulting in locally intense fires without historical precedent in this system. We suggest that fire models and conservation-focused management could be improved by incorporating the distinct flammability characteristics and spatial distributions of spreaders, igniters, and keystone shrubs. Accepted Article Accepted ArticleThis article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1002/eap.1371 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Accepted Article Accepted ArticleThis article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. AbstractNovel fire regimes are an important cause and consequence of global environmental change that involve interactions among biotic, climatic, and ...

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Pinus contorta invasions increase wildfire fuel loads and may create a positive feedback with fire

Taylor

Maxwell

McWethy

et al. 2017

Ecology

Self Cite

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Invasive plant species that have the potential to alter fire regimes have significant impacts on native ecosystems. Concern that pine invasions in the Southern Hemisphere will increase fire activity and severity and subsequently promote further pine invasion prompted us to examine the potential for feedbacks between Pinus contorta invasions and fire in Patagonia and New Zealand. We determined how fuel loads and fire effects were altered by P. contorta invasion. We also examined post-fire plant communities across invasion gradients at a subset of sites to assess how invasion alters the post-fire vegetation trajectory. We found that fuel loads and soil heating during simulated fire increase with increasing P. contorta invasion age or density at all sites. However, P. contorta density did not always increase post-fire. In the largest fire, P. contorta density only increased significantly post-fire where the pre-fire P. contorta density was above an invasion threshold. Below this threshold, P. contorta did not dominate after fire and plant communities responded to fire in a similar manner as uninvaded communities. The positive feedback observed at high densities is caused by the accumulation of fuel that in turn results in greater soil heating during fires and high P. contorta density post-fire. Therefore, a positive feedback may form between P. contorta invasions and fire, but only above an invasion density threshold. These results suggest that management of pine invasions before they reach the invasion density threshold is important for reducing fire risk and preventing a transition to an alternate ecosystem state dominated by pines and novel understory plant communities.

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Positive feedbacks between plant invasions and fire regimes: Teline monspessulana (L.) K. Koch (Fabaceae) in central Chile

Cited by 81 publications

References 28 publications

Fire regimen and spread of plants naturalized in central Chile

Fire regimen and spread of plants naturalized in central Chile

Spreaders, igniters, and burning shrubs: plant flammability explains novel fire dynamics in grass‐invaded deserts

Pinus contorta invasions increase wildfire fuel loads and may create a positive feedback with fire

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