Ten years of recovery after experimental fire in a heathland: effects of sowing native species

Abstract

The effect of revegetation with different combinations of native species in the recovery dynamic of a shrubland dominated by Erica australis subjected to experimental fire was studied. The herbs sown had very low cover throughout the study period. Amongst the species of shrubs, Cytisus spp. develops cover above 50% from the fourth year after sowing in the plots where it was sown and colonisation is observed in the unsown ones from the ninth year. Quercus pyrenaica seedlings have a survival rate of 50%, but their mean height does not reach 40 cm after nine years. The shrub and herbaceous species present in the area before experimental burning are characterised by their great resilience, resprouting vegetatively or recovering from seed. It is therefore not possible to detect significant differences among the plots subjected to the different revegetation treatments and the controls regarding woody, herbaceous or total cover, nor are any significant differences observed in the diversity counted as number of species (richness). The good development of Cytisus spp. points to an important physiognomic change and this, together with the high survival rate, although not growth so far, of Q. pyrenaica may influence the long-term dynamic of the community. # 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

RestoringQuercus pyrenaicaforests using pioneer shrubs as nurse plants

“…Furthermore, the patterns of growth and survival were coupled, the length of the leader shoot after six years being 1.8 × higher under Salvia in comparison to open areas. The growth of the seedlings, although low, was in accordance with those reported for Q. pyrenaica even in more favourable areas of its range (Fernández-Abascal et al 2004). …”

“…Survival was corrected through the years for those seedlings apparently dead but resprouting the following year (a common phenomenon in this and other Quercus species), so that any resprouting seedling was considered alive. Resprouting of aerial biomass was not further recorded after the fourth growing season (see Fernández-Abascal et al 2004 for similar results), and thus the final survival data analysed (six years after planting) can be considered free of spurious results due to resprouting.…”

“…However, plantations of Q. pyrenaica suffer heavy losses, primarily from summer drought, that destroy restoration efforts (e.g. Gómez et al 2003;Fernández-Abascal et al 2004). These losses, similarly common for other Quercus species as well as other reforested trees in the Mediterranean area (García-Salmerón 1995;Vallejo et al 2003;Castro et al 2002Castro et al , 2004aGómez-Aparicio et al 2004), are caused mostly by heavy mortality during the first growing season (Vallejo et al 2003;Castro et al 2002Castro et al , 2004aGómez-Aparicio et al 2004).…”

Effects of sowing native herbaceous species on the post-fire recovery in a heathland

“…The latter was shown by comparing the results of this study with those obtained in a heathland of similar characteristics experimentally burned in summer, and sown with the same herbaceous species as in the present study in the following spring (March). Abnormally adverse meteorological conditions that year (March was very warm but April and May were very cold and dry) resulted in a very low success of sown herbaceous species (Fernández-Abascal et al, 1998).…”

Interactions between mediterranean shrub species eight years after experimental fire

“…Our aim was to find the most suitable combination of species to slow erosion on a short-term basis and favour succession towards forest over the long term (Fernandez-Abascal et al 1998). Of the assayed species, only the shrub Cytisus sp.…”