Post-fire moss colonization and rehabilitation in forests of the Southwestern USA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Grover ◽  
Matthew Bowker ◽  
Peter Fulé ◽  
Kyle Doherty ◽  
Carolyn Sieg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Soil Stability ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Jemez Mountains ◽  
Southwestern Usa ◽  
Active Rehabilitation ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
And Function ◽  
Bare Soils

<p>With wildfires increasing in extent and severity in the Southwestern USA, practitioners need new tools to rehabilitate recently burned ecosystems. Fire mosses consist of three species, <em>Ceratodon purpureus</em>, <em>Funaria hygrometrica</em>, and <em>Bryum argenteum</em>, that naturally colonize burned landscapes, aggregate soils, and can be grown rapidly in the greenhouse. We explored the efficacy of fire moss as a passive and active postfire rehabilitation tool. First, we conducted a natural survey of moss colonization and function on 10 severely burned areas in the Southwestern USA. We tested 11 landscape scale predictors of fire moss cover and found that it is most strongly influenced by insolation, pre-fire vegetation type, soil organic carbon, and time since fire. We also found that, when compared to bare soils, fire mosses increase infiltration by 50% on average and soil stability by more than 100%. Using this information, we selected two study sites on which to inoculate greenhouse grown fire moss. Directly after a wildfire near Flagstaff, Arizona we added sieved moss, finely ground moss, and moss combined with diatomaceous earth and rolled into pellets (n=15). After two years of growth, <em>B. argenteum</em> was the only successful species and no treatment had attained more than 1% cover on average, pellet treated plots had higher moss colonization (p <.001).</p><p>Four months after a wildfire in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, we added greenhouse cultivated moss that was sieved as well as high and low cover of pellets (n= 12). After 1.5 years of growth, we found increased <em>B. argenteum</em> cover with a mean of 10.5% on plots that received high cover of pellets compared to 5.1% cover for controls (p= .02). Currently we are analyzing data to determine if this cover influenced point scale erosion and infiltration metrics. Our results indicate that fire mosses are functionally important colonizers of north facing severely burned hillslopes, however more research is necessary to develop them as an active rehabilitation tool.</p>

scholarly journals Soil-vegetation relationships in Mediterranean forests after fire

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Fernández-García ◽  
Elena Marcos ◽  
Sara Huerta ◽  
Leonor Calvo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
P Content ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Soil Status

Abstract Background Wildfires are one of the major environmental concerns in Mediterranean ecosystems. Thus, many studies have addressed wildfire impacts on soil and vegetation in Mediterranean forests, but the linkages between these ecosystem compartments after fire are not well understood. The aim of this work is to analyze soil-vegetation relationships in Mediterranean burned forests as well as the consistency of these relationships among forests with different environmental conditions, at different times after fire, and among vegetation with different functional traits. Results Our results indicate that study site conditions play an important role in mediating soil-vegetation relationships. Likewise, we found that the nature of soil-vegetation relationships may vary over time as fire effects are less dominant in both ecosystem compartments. Despite this, we detected several common soil-vegetation relationships among study sites and times after fire. For instance, our results revealed that available P content and stoichiometry (C:P and N:P) were closely linked to vegetation growth, and particularly to the growth of trees. We found that enzymatic activities and microbial biomass were inversely related to vegetation growth rates, whereas the specific activities of soil enzymes were higher in the areas with more vegetation height and cover. Likewise, our results suggest that resprouters may influence soil properties more than seeders, the growth of seeders being more dependent on soil status. Conclusions We provide pioneer insights into how vegetation is influenced by soil, and vice-versa, in Mediterranean burned areas. Our results reflect variability in soil-vegetation relationships among study sites and time after fire, but consistent patterns between soil properties and vegetation were also detected. Our research is highly relevant to advance in forest science and could be useful to achieve efficient post-fire management.

Movement of small mammals across divided highways with vegetated medians

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (12) ◽  
pp. 1214-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley A.D. McLaren ◽  
Lenore Fahrig ◽  
Nigel Waltho
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Barrier Effect ◽  
Cover Type ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Median Width ◽  
Initial Capture

Previous studies suggest the gap in forest cover generated by roads contributes to the barrier effect of roads on movement of forest-dwelling small mammals. However, it is not known if vegetated medians of divided highways affect movement of small mammals by reducing the effective highway width. The purpose of our study was to determine whether the type of vegetation cover in the median (treed or grassy) or median width affects small-mammal crossings of divided highways. At 11 study sites varying in median cover type and width, we live-trapped small mammals next to one side of the highway and translocated them to the opposite side of the highway using a standardized translocation distance. In total, 24% of translocated individuals were recaptured on the side of the highway of initial capture, i.e., they had moved across the entire highway. This was significantly lower than what would have been expected in the absence of the highway (58%). The overall probability of recapturing a translocated individual was not significantly related to median cover type or width. Our results suggest that efforts to mitigate the barrier effect of highways on small mammals cannot be accomplished by altering median vegetation type and width.

Bare soil and rill formation following wildfires, fuel reduction treatments, and pine plantations in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil H. Berg ◽  
David L. Azuma
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Burned Areas

Accelerated erosion commonly occurs after wildfires on forested lands. As burned areas recover, erosion returns towards prefire rates depending on many site-specific characteristics, including fire severity, vegetation type, soil type and climate. In some areas, erosion recovery can be rapid, particularly where revegetation is quick. Erosion recovery is less well understood for many fuel load reduction treatments. The rate of post-disturbance erosion recovery affects management options for forested lands, particularly when considering the combined ramifications of multiple disturbances on resource recovery rates (i.e. cumulative watershed effects). Measurements of percentage bare soil and rilling on over 600 plots in the southern Sierra Nevada with slopes less than 75% and within 1 km of roads were made between 2004 and 2006. Results suggest that after high-, moderate- or low-severity wildfire, rilling was seldom evident more than 4 years after fire. Percentage bare soil generally did not differ significantly between reference plots and wildfire plots greater than 6 years old. Little rilling was evident after treatment with a variety of fuel reduction techniques, including burning of machine- and hand-piled fuel, thinning, mastication, and crushing. Percentage bare soil at the fuel load reduction treatment plots also did not differ significantly from reference conditions. Percentage bare soil at pine plantation plots was noticeably higher than at reference sites.

scholarly journals Taxonomic and Functional Response of Millipedes (Diplopoda) to Urban Soil Disturbance in a Metropolitan Area

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Tóth ◽  
Elisabeth Hornung
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
And Function

Urbanization, as a major cause of local species extinction and biotic homogenization, drastically alters soil life. Millipedes are a key group of soil macrodetritivores and significantly influence soil quality, mainly through their essential role in nutrient cycling. Therefore, studying their taxonomic and functional responses to urban disturbance is crucial, as they contribute to the provision of several soil-related ecosystem services in cities. Differently degraded rural, urban forests and other woody patches (e.g., parks, gardens, and cemeteries) were sampled on Buda and Pest sides of the Budapest metropolitan area divided by the Danube River. We measured the most relevant physical and chemical properties of topsoil to characterize habitats. We applied an urbanization index based on vegetation cover and built-up area of the study sites to quantify urban intensity. The composition of the assemblages was determined by the division of the city along the Danube. Urbanization was associated with a reduction in species and functional richness of millipedes on both sides of Budapest. β diversity and species turnover increased with urban intensity. Urban disturbance was the main driver in assembly of taxonomic and functional community composition. A new species (Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus (Wood, 1864)) to the fauna of Budapest was found. Detritivore invertebrates depend on leaf litter and other dead organic matter types, therefore microsites providing these resources greatly improve their survival. Due to increasing urban disturbance, it is recommended to provide appropriate detritus and shelter sites as part of the management of green spaces in order to maintain species richness, abundance, and function of species.

scholarly journals Calibration of FARSITE fire area simulator in Iranian northern forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (9) ◽  
pp. 6201-6240 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Jahdi ◽  
M. Salis ◽  
A. A. Darvishsefat ◽  
F. J. Alcasena Urdiroz ◽  
V. Etemad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Risk Monitoring ◽  
Spread Model ◽  
Fuel Models ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
In Fire

Abstract. Wildfire simulators based on empirical or physical models need to be locally calibrated and validated when used under conditions that differ from those where the simulators were originally developed. This study aims to calibrate FARSITE fire spread model considering a set of recent wildfires occurred in Northern Iran forests. Site specific fuel models in the study areas were selected by sampling the main natural vegetation type complexes and assigning standard fuel models. Overall, simulated fires presented reliable outputs that accurately replicated the observed fire perimeters and behavior. Standard fuel models of Scott and Burgan (2005) afforded better accuracy in the simulated fire perimeters than the standard fuel models of Anderson (1982). The best match between observed and modeled burned areas was observed on herbaceous type fuel models. Fire modeling showed a high potential for estimating spatial variability in fire spread and behavior in the study areas. This work represents a first step in the application of fire spread modeling on Northern Iran for wildfire risk monitoring and management.

scholarly journals Area-Wide Prediction of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Hole Density and Depth across a Climate Gradient in Chile Based on UAV and Machine Learning

Drones ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Paulina Grigusova ◽  
Annegret Larsen ◽  
Sebastian Achilles ◽  
Alexander Klug ◽  
Robin Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Spatial Density ◽  
Hole Density ◽  
Climate Gradient ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Spatially Explicit Data

Burrowing animals are important ecosystem engineers affecting soil properties, as their burrowing activity leads to the redistribution of nutrients and soil carbon sequestration. The magnitude of these effects depends on the spatial density and depth of such burrows, but a method to derive this type of spatially explicit data is still lacking. In this study, we test the potential of using consumer-oriented UAV RGB imagery to determine the density and depth of holes created by burrowing animals at four study sites along a climate gradient in Chile, by combining UAV data with empirical field plot observations and machine learning techniques. To enhance the limited spectral information in RGB imagery, we derived spatial layers representing vegetation type and height and used landscape textures and diversity to predict hole parameters. Across-site models for hole density generally performed better than those for depth, where the best-performing model was for the invertebrate hole density (R2 = 0.62). The best models at individual study sites were obtained for hole density in the arid climate zone (R2 = 0.75 and 0.68 for invertebrates and vertebrates, respectively). Hole depth models only showed good to fair performance. Regarding predictor importance, the models heavily relied on vegetation height, texture metrics, and diversity indices.

scholarly journals The Interaction of Fire, Vegetation and Large Mammalian Herbivores, on Ecosystem Processes in Yellowstone National Park

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 260-262
Author(s):  
Benjamin Tracy ◽  
Samuel McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Sagebrush Steppe ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Basic Study ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Study Sites

There is substantial observational evidence suggesting positive interactions among fire, vegetation and large mammalian herbivores within Yellowstone National Park. The purpose of this research project is to quantify these potential interactions and explain their interactive effects on ecosystem processes (e.g. nutrient cycling). The basic study design utilizes burned areas from the 1988 fires with adjacent unburned areas to comparatively quantify ecosystem process information. Two paired study sites were chosen in three locations (Hellroaring Slope, Swan Lake Flat and Hayden Valley) representing winter, transitional and summer range for portions of the Northern elk herd. All study sites can be characterized as mesic sagebrush steppe dominated by the grasses Festuca idahoensis and Agropryron spp.

Post-wildfire moss colonisation and soil functional enhancement in forests of the southwestern USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Henry S. Grover ◽  
Matthew A. Bowker ◽  
Peter Z. Fulé ◽  
Kyle D. Doherty ◽  
Carolyn H. Sieg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Surface Erosion ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Moss Cover ◽  
Southwestern Usa ◽  
In Fire

Fire mosses, including Ceratodon purpureus, Funaria hygrometrica and Bryum argenteum, can achieve high cover within months to years after high-severity fire, but do so heterogeneously across space and time. We conducted a survey of moss cover and erosion-related functions after 10 wildfires in Pinus ponderosa and mixed-conifer forests of the southwestern USA. We sampled 65 plots in high-severity patches, stratifying by elevation and insolation over each fire. Using three landscape-scale predictor variables and one temporal predictor, we explained 37% of the variance in fire moss cover using a random forest model. The predictors in order of importance were: equinox insolation (sunlight/day), pre-fire vegetation type, pre-fire soil organic carbon and time since fire. Within each plot we examined differences between bare and moss-covered soil surface microsites and found moss-covered microsites had a mean increase of 55% water infiltration, 106% shear strength, 162% compressive strength and 195% aggregate stability. We tested a suite of nutrients, finding 35% less manganese in the moss-covered soil. This research demonstrated that post-fire colonisation by moss is predictable and that colonisation improves soil surface erosion resistance and hydrological function, with implications for managing severely burned landscapes.

Fire history and recent fire rotation periods in the Nova Scotia Acadian Forest

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross W. Wein ◽  
Janice M. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Rotation Period ◽  
Turn Of The Century ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Rotation Periods ◽  
Acadian Forest

Descriptive records of wildfires since the earliest writings and quantitative provincial fire records since 1915 have been used to produce a synthesis of fire history for the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Large annual burns were common up to the mid-1930's. Annual burns totalling over 15 000 ha occurred in each of the years 1918, 1920, 1921, 1930, 1934, 1944, and 1947, and annual burns totalling over 30 000 ha occurred in each of the years 1920 and 1921. Lightning has accounted for 1% of the number of fires (three per year). Thirty percent of the fires have occurred in the month of May; however, fires have been recorded for all months. Fire rotation periods for the province as a whole were 1000 or 2500 years, using the mean annual burn or median annual burn, respectively, for all burns in the years 1915 to 1975. In contrast, calculations of burned areas on maps produced at the turn of the century gave presuppression fire rotation periods of just over 200 years. Vegetation types have had widely varying fire rotation periods. The vegetation of Cape Breton Island has been subjected to almost no fires over 20 ha, whereas the vegetation type with the shortest fire rotation period (in the interior of western Nova Scotia) has been subjected to fire rotation periods as low as 65 years at the turn of the century, to about 2000 years for the years 1958 to 1975. A summary of fire rotation periods for the Boreal, Great Lakes – St. Lawrence, and Acadian Forest Regions found in the literature is presented for comparison with the Nova Scotia data, and more detailed comparisons are made between the fire rotation periods of the similar vegetation types in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

scholarly journals The spatial distribution of African savannah herbivores: species associations and habitat occupancy in a landscape context

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1703) ◽  
pp. 20150314 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Michael Anderson ◽  
Staci White ◽  
Bryant Davis ◽  
Rob Erhardt ◽  
Meredith Palmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Serengeti Ecosystem ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Habitat Occupancy ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Migratory Strategy ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
And Function

Herbivores play an important role in determining the structure and function of tropical savannahs. Here, we (i) outline a framework for how interactions among large mammalian herbivores, carnivores and environmental variation influence herbivore habitat occupancy in tropical savannahs. We then (ii) use a Bayesian hierarchical model to analyse camera trap data to quantify spatial patterns of habitat occupancy for lions and eight common ungulates of varying body size across an approximately 1100 km 2 landscape in the Serengeti ecosystem. Our results reveal strong positive associations among herbivores at the scale of the entire landscape. Lions were positively associated with migratory ungulates but negatively associated with residents. Herbivore habitat occupancy differed with body size and migratory strategy: large-bodied migrants, at less risk of predation and able to tolerate lower quality food, were associated with high NDVI, while smaller residents, constrained to higher quality forage, avoided these areas. Small herbivores were strongly associated with fires, likely due to the subsequent high-quality regrowth, while larger herbivores avoided burned areas. Body mass was strongly related to herbivore habitat use, with larger species more strongly associated with riverine and woodlands than smaller species. Large-bodied migrants displayed diffuse habitat occupancy, whereas smaller species demonstrated fine-scale occupancy reflecting use of smaller patches of high-quality habitat. Our results demonstrate the emergence of strong positive spatial associations among a diverse group of savannah herbivores, while highlighting species-specific habitat selection strongly determined by herbivore body size. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use and conservation’.

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