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opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Fire may mediate effects of landscape connectivity on plant community richness in prairie remnants

Following the predictions of island biogeography and metapopulation theory, efforts to understand and maintain plant communities have focused on spatial attributes such as patch size and connectivity. However, despite a large body of literature, the effects of these spatial attributes remain uncertain, and accumulating evidence suggests that they may interact with local patch characteristics. Here, we assess the role of spatial attributes (patch size and connectivity at two time periods) and of patch quality (indicated by number of years since last fire, as this is a fire-dependent system) in determining plant species richness at 63 remnant prairie sites in Wisconsin, USA. Our results demonstrate significant main effects of patch size, with larger patches being richer than small patches, and of fire, with recent-fire sites being richer than fire-excluded sites. We also report a novel interaction between number of years since fire and patch connectivity. Historical (1950) connectivity was negatively related to species richness at recent-fire sites, but positively related to species richness at fire-excluded sites, while current (2000) connectivity and species richness were positively correlated at recent-fire sites, but unrelated at fire-excluded sites. Our findings indicate that measures of patch quality such as time since last fire can alter the association between spatial attributes such as patch size or connectivity and species richness.

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: When can refuges mediate the genetic effects of fire regimes? A simulation study of the effects of topography and weather on neutral and adaptive genetic diversity in fire-prone landscapes

Understanding how landscape heterogeneity mediates the effects of fire on biodiversity is increasingly important under global changes in fire regimes. We used a simulation experiment to investigate how fire regimes interact with topography and weather to shape neutral and selection-driven genetic diversity under alternative dispersal scenarios, and to explore the conditions under which microrefuges can maintain genetic diversity of populations exposed to recurrent fire. Spatial heterogeneity in simulated fire frequency occurred in topographically complex landscapes, with fire refuges and fire-prone "hotspots" apparent. Interannual weather variability reduced the effect of topography on fire patterns, with refuges less apparent under high weather variability. Neutral genetic diversity was correlated with long-term fire frequency under spatially heterogeneous fire regimes, being higher in fire refuges than fire-prone areas, except under high dispersal or low fire severity (low mortality). This generated different spatial genetic structures in fire-prone and fire-refuge components of the landscape, despite similar dispersal. In contrast, genetic diversity was only associated with time since the most recent fire in flat landscapes without predictable refuges and hotspots. Genetic effects of selection driven by fire-related conditions depended on selection pressure, migration distance and spatial heterogeneity in fire regimes. Allele frequencies at a locus conferring higher fitness under successional environmental conditions followed a pattern of "temporal adaptation" to contemporary conditions under strong selection pressure and high migration. However, selected allele frequencies were correlated with spatial variation in long-term mean fire frequency (relating to environmental predictability) under weak dispersal, low selection pressure and strong spatial heterogeneity in fire regimes.

opencc-zeroDec 2014View details →

Data from: Effects of fire regime on the population genetics of natural pine stands, in Genetic structure of forest trees in biodiversity hotspots at different spatial scales (Ph.D. thesis).

The recurrence of wildfires is predicted to increase worldwide due to climate change, resulting in severe impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We used simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to examine the effects of fire regime on genetic diversity, demographic history and fine-scale spatial genetic structure (SGS) of Pinus pinaster and P. halepensis, two conifers with similar adaptations to fire in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. Stands growing under high (HiFi) or low (LoFi) frequency of crown fires had similar levels of genetic diversity and similar demographic history, with bottlenecks detected in all stands in both species. HiFi populations were not genetically depleted, suggesting that adaptations such as a diverse canopy seed bank due to serotinous cones, an early age of first flowering and high gene flow buffer against possible reductions of genetic diversity. Significantly stronger SGS at SNPs in HiFi than LoFi stands of P. halepensis suggested fire-related altered dispersal possibly combined with microenvironmental selection in this fire-sensitive "seeder" species. In contrast, SGS at SNP markers was unrelated to fire regime in P. pinaster. This could be a consequence of more pronounced fire-resistance in this species enabling some adults to survive fire, hence causing a lower dependence on post-fire regeneration. Our results highlight that the impact of fire differs in species with similar life-history traits. Therefore, species-specific studies are needed to understand the role of wildfires for the evolution of future forests

opencc-zeroNov 2023View details →

Data from: The effect of climate change on forest fire danger and severity in the Canadian boreal forests for the period 1976–2100

Recent climatic trends have increased forest fire activity in Canada. This study aimed to evaluate how forest fire conditions might evolve across the Canadian borael forests in the future and to inform discussion about the impact of climate change on fire danger and severity.

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Data for: Effects of fire on ground-dwelling arthropods in a shrub-dominated grassland

Arthropods are abundant and diverse animals in many terrestrial food webs. In western Oklahoma, some shrublands are interspersed with discrete, dense thickets of tall, woody vegetation, known as mottes. Some of these shrublands are managed with prescribed burning. The goal of this study was to examine if prescribed burning interacted with habitat type (i.e., shrubland vs. mottes) to affect ground-dwelling arthropod communities. Arthropods were collected in pitfall traps at four sampling locations in relation to mottes; in the center of mottes, and three plot location in shrublands; 1m, 15m, and 50m away from the edge of the motte. There were three treatment levels for burning: one-year post burn (burned in dormant months of 2017), two-years post burn (burned in dormant months of 2016), and unburned (burned in dormant season of 2014 and prior). There were no significant interactions between prescribed burning and habitat type. Mottes had a different community of arthropods compared to the surrounding shrubland. Mottes also had lower overall abundance, but a higher diversity of arthropods. In terms of fires, arthropod communities one year after burning were different from those two or more years after burning. There was no effect of burning on overall arthropod abundance, but plots that were one year since burning had significantly lower diversity compared to plots that were two or more years post-burn. The results of this study suggest that both fire and mottes can independently facilitate heterogeneity in arthropod communities, but they do not appear to interact with one another.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2021View details →

Data for "Modeling the short-term fire effects on vegetation dynamics and surface energy in southern Africa"

This is the data used for "Modeling the short-term fire effects on vegetation dynamics and surface energy in southern Africa using the improved SSiB4/TRIFFID-Fire model". The data includes two folders: fireon and fireoff representing the scenarios with the fire model turned on and off. Each folder includes 14 years of data from 2000-2013.

opencc-zeroJul 2022View details →

Effects of spatial distance and woody plant cover on beta diversity point to dispersal limitation as a driver of community assembly during post-fire succession in a Mediterranean shrubland

Beta diversity, and its components of turnover and nestedness, reflect the processes governing community assembly, such as dispersal limitation or biotic interactions, but it is unclear how they operate at the local scale and how their role changes along post-fire succession. Here, we analyzed the patterns of beta diversity and its components in a herbaceous plant community after fire, and in relation to dispersal ability, in Central Spain. We calculated multiple site beta diversity (βSOR) and its components of turnover (βSIM) and nestedness (βSNE) of all herbaceous plants, or grouped by dispersal syndrome (autochory, anemochory, zoochory), during the first three years after wildfire. We evaluated the relationship between pairwise beta diversity (βsor), and its components (βsim, βsne), and spatial distance or differences in woody plant cover, a proxy of biotic interactions. We found high multiple-site beta diversity dominated by the turnover component. Community dissimilarity increased with spatial distance, driven mostly by the turnover component. Species with less dispersal ability (i. e. autochory) showed a stronger spatial pattern of dissimilarity. Biotic interactions with woody plants contributed less to community dissimilarity, which tended to occur through the nestedness component. These results suggest that dispersal limitation prevails over biotic interactions with woody plants as a driver of local community assembly, even for species with high dispersal ability. These results contribute to our understanding of post-fire community assembly and vegetation dynamics.

opennotspecifiedAug 2024View details →

Fire Effects Information System: Fire Effects Information System - Animals (509) DwCA

The Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) provides up-to-date information about fire effects on plants, lichens, and animals. It was developed at the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana. The FEIS database contains literature reviews, taken from current English-language literature of about 900 plant species, 7 lichen species, about 100 wildlife species, 17 Research Project Summaries, and 16 Kuchler plant communities of North America. The emphasis of each review and summary is fire and how it affects species. Background information on taxonomy, distribution, basic biology, and ecology of each species is also included. Reviews are thoroughly documented, and each contains a complete bibliography. Managers from several land management agencies (United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service) choose the species included in the database. Those agencies funded the original work and continue to support maintenance and updating of the database. https://www.feis-crs.org/feis/

opennotspecifiedAug 2024View details →

Fire Effects Information System: Fire Effects Information System - Plants (505) DwCA

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Supplementary data: What drives grassland-forest boundaries? Assessing fire and frost effects on tree seedling survival and architecture

<ol> <li>Fire and frost represent two major hurdles for the persistence of trees in open grassy biomes and have both been proposed as drivers of grassland-forest boundaries in Africa.</li> <li>We assess the response of young tree seedlings, which represent a vulnerable stage in tree recruitment, to traumatic fire and frost disturbances.</li> <li>In a greenhouse experiment, we investigated how seedling traits predicted survival and resprouting ability in response to fire vs frost; we characterised survival strategies of seedlings in response to the two disturbances, and we documented how the architecture of surviving seedlings is affected by fire vs frost injury.</li> <li>Survival rates were similar under both treatments. However, different species displayed different levels of sensitivity to fire and frost. Seedling survival was higher for older seedlings and seedlings with more basal leaves. Survivors of a fire event lost more biomass than the survivors of a frost event. However, the architecture of recovered fire and frost treated seedlings were mostly similar. Seedlings that recovered from fire and frost treatments were often shorter than those that had not been exposed to any disturbance, with multiple thin branches, which may increase vulnerability to the next frost or fire event.</li> <li> Synthesis. Fire caused more severe aboveground damage compared to a single frost event, suggesting that fire is an important driver of tree distribution in these open grassland systems. However, the impact of repeated frost events may be equally severe, and needs to be investigated. Also, woody species composition may be influenced by phenomena that affect the timing and frequency of seedling exposure to damage, as mortality was found to be dependent on seedling age. Therefore, changes in fire regime and climate (esp. changes that bring about less frost and reduced fire intensity and frequency) are likely to result in changes in the composition and the structure of the woody components of these systems.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Effects of large herbivores on fire regimes and wildfire mitigation

1. Abandonment of agricultural land is widespread in many parts of the world, leading to shrub and tree encroachment. The increase of flammable plant biomass, i.e. fuel load, increases the risk and intensity of wildfires. Fuel reduction by herbivores is a promising management strategy to avoid fuel build-up and mitigate wildfires. However, their effectiveness in mitigating wildfire damage may depend on a range of factors, including herbivore type, population density and feeding patterns. 2. Here we review the evidence on whether management with herbivores can reduce fuel load and mitigate wildfires, and if so, how to identify suitable management that can achieve fire mitigation objectives while providing other ecosystem services. We systematically reviewed studies that investigated links between herbivores, fire hazard, fire frequency and fire damage. 3. We found that in general, herbivores reduce fuel load most effectively when they are mixed-feeders, when grazing and browsing herbivores are combined, and when herbivore food preferences match the local vegetation. In some cases, the combination of herbivory with other management strategies, such as mechanical clearing, is necessary to reduce wildfire damage. 4. We conclude that herbivores have the capacity to mitigate wildfire damage, and we provide guidance for grazing management for wildfire mitigation strategies. As areas undergoing land abandonment are particularly prone to wildfires, the maintenance or promotion of grazing by domestic or wild herbivores is a promising tool to reduce wildfire risk in a cost-effective way, while also providing other ecosystem services. Relevant land-use policies, including fire-suppression policies, agricultural and forest(ry) policies could incentivise the use of herbivores for better wildfire prevention.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

High-intensity fires may have limited medium-term effectiveness for reversing woody plant encroachment in an African savanna

1. Woody thickening or "bush encroachment" is a growing concern in savannas worldwide and can reportedly be reversed by applying high-intensity fires. Preliminary findings following experimental fires in 2010 and 2013 indicated that woody plant cover declined one year after high-intensity fires, but increased after low-intensity fires. However, the longer-term outcomes of high-intensity fires are largely unknown. 2. To establish longer-term outcomes, we re-assessed sites subjected to Low, Medium and High-intensity fire treatments 10 years after the initial experimental fires. We compared woody vegetation structure in 2010 with that in 2020 using both ground surveys and airborne LiDAR. 3. Ground surveys revealed increases in the number of stems and individual shrubs (< 10 m tall) over 10 years, and decreases in shrub height, with no significant differences between treatments. Large trees (≥ 10 m) declined by about 65% in number due to ongoing high mortality across treatments over 10 years. 4. LiDAR surveys revealed significant but very small differences in woody plant height and cover between treatments after 10 years. Median height was around 2 m in all treatments, and 90th percentile tree height was moderately taller in the Low fire treatment. Mean canopy cover was about 55% in all treatments. The treatments, therefore, did not result in a meaningful reversal of woody encroachment with no discernible difference between the treatment sites after 10 years. 5. Synthesis and applications. The application of high-intensity fires did not reverse woody encroachment in the longer term. In addition, the application of such treatments would be impractical at a large scale. Within a framework of Strategic Adaptive Management, the next logical step would be to attempt a different approach. In this case, it is intended to use early or late wet season burns to increase the mortality of shrubs when they are in a more vulnerable phenological state. This study illustrates the importance of ongoing long-term monitoring, review and adaptation for finding practical ways to achieve desired ecological outcomes.

Fig. 5 in Effects of fire on small mammal communities in frequent-fire forests in California

Fig. 5.—Nonparametric multiplicative regression response curves (estimated by kernel functions) for the best model (highest cross-validated xR2) for describing Glaucomys sabrinus abundance given the habitat characteristics at 20 trapping sites in Yosemite National Park, California (2004–2005). The best model included a combination of fire severity (index), shrub species understory cover (%), and oak tree overstory cover (%). The values on the graph are not intended to suggest definitive thresholds or maximum values for any of the habitat variables (see "Materials and Methods").

Fig. 3.—Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination for the 4 in Effects of fire on small mammal communities in frequent-fire forests in California

Fig. 3.—Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination for the 4 habitat variables (overstory cover, oak tree cover, shrub cover, and fire severity index) and elevation and the 11 most commonly captured mammal species in 10 burned and 10 unburned sites from April to July 2004 and 2005 in Yosemite National Park, California. Only variables with a r ≥ 0.7 or the environmental variable with the highest r for that axis (i.e., fire severity r = −0.41 and oak tree cover r = 0.51) are listed on each axis. The R2 was 0.09 and 0.77 for axis 1 and 2, respectively, for a cumulative total of 0.86. The mammal species codes represent the following: CALA, Callospermophilus lateralis; GLSA, Glaucomys sabrinus (r = 0.73 on axis 1); MIXX, Microtus sp.; NEQU, Neotamias quadrimaculatus (r = −0.71 on axis 2); NESP, N. speciosus (r = −0.67 on axis 1); OTBE, Otospermophilus beecheyi; PEBO, Peromyscus boylii; PEMA; P. maniculatus (r = −0.88 on axis 2); SCGR, Sciurus griseus (r = 0.68 on axis 1); SOXX, Sorex sp.; TADO, Tamiasciurus douglasii.

Fig. 4 in Effects of fire on small mammal communities in frequent-fire forests in California

Fig. 4.—Nonparametric multiplicative regression response curves (estimated by kernel functions) for the best model (highest cross-validated xR2) describing Neotamias quadrimaculatus abundance given the habitat characteristics at 20 trapping sites in Yosemite National Park, California (2004–2005). The best model was the full model. The values on the graph are not intended to suggest definitive thresholds or maximum values for any of the habitat variables (see "Materials and Methods").

Fig. 2 in Effects of fire on small mammal communities in frequent-fire forests in California

Fig. 2.—Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination results for overstory cover (%), oak tree cover (%), and shrub cover (%) at 10 burned and 10 unburned small mammal trapping sites in Yosemite National Park, California, 2004 and 2005. Only the variables with a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) ≥ 0.7 are listed on each axis with overstory canopy and oak tree cover on axis 1 (r = −0.90 and 0.82, respectively) and shrub cover (r = 0.85) on axis 2. The R2 was 0.58 and 0.38 for axis 1 and 2, respectively, for a cumulative total of 0.96.

Fig. 6 in Effects of fire on small mammal communities in frequent-fire forests in California

Fig. 6.—Nonparametric multiplicative regression response curves (estimated by kernel functions) for the best model (highest crossvalidated xR2) describing Neotamias speciosus abundance given the habitat characteristics at 20 trapping sites in Yosemite National Park, California (2004–2005). The best model included a combination of fire severity (index) and elevation (m). The values on the graph are not intended to suggest definitive thresholds or maximum values for any of the habitat variables (see "Materials and Methods").

Fig. 1 in Effects of fire on small mammal communities in frequent-fire forests in California

Fig. 1.—Locations of 10 burned and 10 unburned small mammal trapping sites (April to July, 2004 and 2005) in Yosemite National Park, California. Burned trapping areas were completely within the boundary of either wildfire or prescribed fire between 1990 and 2004.