Forest fires are a risk factor for plant species

Abstract Background Feeding strategies assessment of endangered species during food limited seasons is important in order to understand their niche and advise effective habitat management steps. We assessed the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) seasonal diet from April 2014 to March 2015, in three wildlife sanctuaries in western India, namely, Sitamata, Kumbhalgarh, and Phulwari-ki-nal Wildlife Sanctuaries. Opportunistic focal animal sampling method was used in five 1 km paths in each sanctuary to take feeding observations. Each transect was walked three times a day (morning 06:00-10:00 h; mid-day 10:00-14:00 h; evening 15:00-18:00 h), 1 day a month, during 12 months, with a total of 540 surveys divided between 15 paths. The diet data was categorized into different plant categories. Results A total of 532 feeding records from 85 animal sightings were noted with a mean (± SD) of 14.78 ± 10.04 feeding records/month. Feeding was observed on 63 plant species belonging to 23 families. The highest feeding records noted were on trees (60.91%) in the diet followed by shrubs (20.49%), grasses (16.92%), forbs (1.50%), and climbers (0.18%) respectively. Most of the plant species consumed were from Fabaceae (n = 17) and Poaceae (n = 12) families. The overall browse-grass ratio was 83.08-16.92% (88.02-11.98% for Sitamata WLS; 82.11-17.89% for Kumbhalgarh WLS; 79.10-20.90% for Phulwari-ki-nal WLS). Leaves were the most consumed part of the plants (64.10%), followed by dry fruit (16.55%), fleshy fruit (13.34%), flowers (2.82%), buds (2.06%), and twigs (1.13%) respectively. Use of fleshy fruits, dry fruits, and trees showed significant seasonal dietary difference (P < 0.05) in all three sanctuaries. Conclusions Tetracerus quadricornis was found to consume more browse species than grasses. We recommend conservation and promotion of natural plant regeneration, in particular for the plant species that were the most consumed by four-horned antelope, namely, Aristida adscensionis, Dendrocalamus strictus, Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia leucophloea, Butea monosperma, Helicteres isora, Ziziphus nummularia, and Ziziphus xylopyrus. Conservation of grassland patches, minimizing local pressure, and planning, construction, and maintenance of fire lines prior to timing of forest fires would help to protected T. quadricornis habitat in all three sanctuaries.

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Persistence of remnant boreal plants in the Chiricahua Mountains, southern Arizona

10.1101/2020.03.02.974055 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anda Fescenko ◽

James A. Downer ◽

Ilja Fescenko

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Plant Species ◽

Forest Fire ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Principal Component ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Field Observations ◽

Physiological Tolerance ◽

Selective Sensitivity ◽

Boreal Plants

Boreal plants growing along southern edge of their range on isolated mountains in a hot desert matrix live near the extreme of their physiological tolerance. Such plants are considered to be sensitive to small changes in climate. We coupled field observations (1974, 1993, 2019) about the abundance and vigor of small populations of ten remnant boreal plant species persisting in uppermost elevation spruce-fir forests of the Chiricahua Mountains, together with a theoretical modeling of the species' tolerances to three climate change cues: warming, drought, and forest fire, in order to explore the persistence of frontier boreal plant species in the frame of climate changes. We hypothesized that populations of these cryophilic plants have declined or become locally extinct during an adverse warming period since 1993, enforced by two large forest fires (1994, 2011). We used plant functional traits and principal component analysis to model tolerances of the plants to combined actions of warming, drought, and forest fire. Our model predicted selective sensitivity to warming for two species: Vaccinium myrtillus and Rubus parviflorus, while possible decline of the other species could be explained by drought and/or fire. We surveyed the study area in 2019 and found eight of the ten species still occur in the area. Five species occurred in wet canyons at lower elevations, but three species persisted in low vigor at the uppermost elevation highly affected by fires. Both warming-sensitive species did not show signs of decline: population of R. parviflorus increased in abundance and vigor, while V. myrtillus persists without significant changes since 1993. Despite the recorded increase in temperature in the study area over one degree Celsius between years 1975-1993 and 1994-2019, our study did not find evidence of the direct warming effect on the observed species. We conclude that severe wildfires and multi-decadal decrease in precipitation rather than warming are the main limiting factors of the remnant boreal species remarkable but limited persistence in the Chiricahua Mountains. Our study demonstrates how field observations can be combined with modeling to evaluate species selective responses to different environmental stresses for better environmental management decisions, particularly in light of climate change.

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THE DIVERSITY OF HERBACEOUS VEGETATION AFTER FOREST FIRE

Proccedings of International Scientific Conference "RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2017" ◽

10.15544/rd.2017.105 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jolita ABRAITIENĖ ◽

Gerda ŠILINGIENĖ ◽

Rasa VAITKEVIČIŪTĖ ◽

Regina VASINAUSKIENĖ

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Plant Species ◽

Forest Fire ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Ground Level ◽

Herbaceous Plants ◽

Coniferous Forests ◽

First Year ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Forested Areas

Forest fire is an uncontrolled combustion of flammable materials in forested and non-forested areas. In Lithuania forest fires mainly occur in late spring and summer, mostly in young coniferous forests (Forest ..., 1987). The studies of herbaceous plants in fireplaces were carried out in 2016 in Jurbarkas SFE. Ground-level forest fire increased the projection coverage of herbaceous plants and their species composition in the fireplaces. According to the average data of the survey, 18 herbaceous plant species were ascertained in the fireplace and 14 species in the control stand. During the first year after fire, 9 new species were recorded in the fireplace and 5 species have disappeared, while in the seventh year - 7 new species were recorded and 1 disappeared, as compared with the control stand. Summarizing the obtained data it can be stated that low-intensity ground-level forest fire in pine forest increased the number of herbaceous plant species, however, the number of new and extinct species has been gradually decreasing, suggesting that in the fireplaces the diversity of herbaceous plant species will be like in the control stand.

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Peatlands Rehabilitation through Species Enrichment on Post-fire Oil Palm Plantation Area

Media Konservasi ◽

10.29244/medkon.24.1.60-67 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 60-67

Author(s):

Rizki Mardhatillah ◽

Prijanto Pamoengkas ◽

Istomo Istomo

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Growth Response ◽

Plant Type ◽

Soil Characteristic ◽

Enrichment Method ◽

Physical Conditions ◽

Durio Zibethinus ◽

Coffea Liberica

Forest fires and land conversion to oil palm plantations are one of the major threats that caused dangerous impacts on the existence of peatlands in Indonesia. Rehabilitation by plant type enrichment method is an effort that can be developed to restore the ecological and hydrological functions of degraded peatlands. This study aimed to analyze biophysical conditions (soil characteristics), analyze the growth response of plant species against the combination of planting types; analyze the choice of planting combinations that are in accordance with the physical conditions of the field and the needs of local communities. This study was designed by varying the diversity of tree species or combination of planting. The research plot consists of three size area (5m x 5m, 10m x 10m, and 20m x 20m). The species that used in this study consists of Shorea balangeran, Durio zibethinus, Archidendron pauciflorum, Parkia speciosa, Coffea liberica and Areca pinanga. The results showed that the research plot has soil characteristic from mesotropic fertility categories (moderate fertility) to eutophic (fertile), while the pH between 3.2 – 3.5 (very acidic). The growth of plant species at the age of five months has growth rate differentiation both height and diameter in each combination of planting. The height growth of Shorea balangeran species the highest which average of 35.16 cm while the diameter growth of Areca pinanga is 8.13 mm. The best combination of planting is a combination of six species wich consists Shorea balangeran, Durio zibethinus, Archidendron pauciflorum, Parkia speciosa, Coffea liberica and Areca pinanga. Keywords: enrichment planting, growth, rehabilitation, peatlands

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Post-Fire Regeneration of Woody Species in a Colombian Tropical Dry Forest

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability - Handbook of Research on the Conservation and Restoration of Tropical Dry Forests ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0014-9.ch017 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 324-345

Author(s):

Anghy Gutiérrez-Rincón ◽

Angela Parrado-Rosselli

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Natural Regeneration ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Woody Species ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Forest Sites ◽

Regeneration Response ◽

Magdalena River ◽

In Fire

In fire-influenced ecosystems, some plant species have the ability to recover, germinate, and to establish after a fire; however, their proportion and dominance varies between sites. The objective of this work was to evaluate natural regeneration following a fire in a tropical dry forest located in the Upper Magdalena River Valley in Colombia. In that way, all seedlings and saplings of woody species were recorded, 1.5 years after a fire, in 75 2x2-m plots installed in burned and unburned forest sites, as well as in forest gaps. Results showed that although abundance was higher in the burned sites, the species richness was lower than in unburned areas. Based on the regeneration response of the species, we identified three groups of plants: 1) fire-stimulated, 2) fire-tolerant, and 3) fire-sensitive species, which means that this tropical dry forest has species with the ability to recover, germinate, and establish after a fire. These three groups of plant species should be considered in restoration programs in light of future and more frequent forest fires due to climate change.

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The conservation status of birds in arid Australia.

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj9920065 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 65 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

J Reid ◽

M Fleming

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Plant Species ◽

Arid Zone ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Introduced Predators ◽

Avian Biodiversity ◽

Declining Species ◽

The Impact ◽

Exotic Herbivores

The impression has been given in previous studies that there are few bird conservation problems in the arid zone, particularly because not one of a total of 230 species has become extinct. In stark contrast, almost half of the native terrestrial mammalian fauna of the Australian arid zone has become extinct on the mainland since European occupation. Here we show that the status of one half of the avifauna has changed since European occupation, and conclude there are many threats to avian biodiversity at the regional scale in the arid zone. There are 19 species (8%) in the arid zone classified as rare and threatened nationally. Twelve more (5%) are uncommon species which have declined or are at risk in two or more regions. A further 40 species (17%) have declined in at least one arid region, although many of these remain common and some have increased elsewhere in arid Australia. At least 45 species (20%) have increased in range or abundance, including a suite of ground-feeding birds associated with degraded landscapes. Striking patterns emerged from analysis of 29 threatened and declining species: • birds associated with chenopod shrublands and grassy, riparian or floodplain environments have been most affected whereas mulga inhabitants and canopy-dwellers of riparian woodland have been little affected; • birds generally with a northem distribution have declined in the south of the arid zone and birds with a southern distribution have declined in the north of the arid zone, and these patterns contrast with many birds with a southern or continental distribution which have declined more in southern semiarid regions than within the arid zone itself; • birds which feed at ground and low shrub height have been most adversely affected; • sedentary bushbirds (passerines) are more at risk than nomads and their limited mobility seems to be a risk factor; • among non-passerines, parrots, cockatoos and pigeons are most at risk, while three passerine families stand out, namely wrens, quail-thrushes, and thornbills and allies; • contrary to findings for mammals, size does not generally appear to be an important risk factor. Land degradation and habitat alteration such as shifts in abundance or dominance of plant species caused by the introduction of exotic herbivores appear to be the principal factors causing change in status while the provision of reliable water sources in pastoral districts is also important. Introduced predators are implicated in some cases and altered fire regimes may have played a part in spinifex and mallee habitats. Competitive interactions between increasing and declining species, although not demonstrated, appear to be likely for some species. We have documented a hitherto unsuspected degree of change in avian biodiversity in the Australian arid zone. In the absence of widespread regeneration of dominant plant species in the southern arid zone, the decline of many arid zone birds will accelerate dramatically. Also, unless better management ensues, the next major drought could cause accelerated declines and extinctions. We advocate a range of measures designed to improve the conservation prospects for arid Australian birds, including lower stocking rates on pastoral properties, rehabilitation of critical habitats and their protection from exotic herbivores, experimental research on the impact of grazing and predation, and monitoring of both threatened species and a range of sedentary passerines typically associated with representative habitats in the arid zone.

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Clinical aspects of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Biochemical Society Symposium ◽

10.1042/bss0710121 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 71 ◽

pp. 121-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Ascan Warnholtz ◽

Maria Wendt ◽

Michael August ◽

Thomas Münzel

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Endothelial Dysfunction ◽

Vascular Tissue ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

No Production ◽

Oxygen Species

Endothelial dysfunction in the setting of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and chronic smoking, as well as in the setting of heart failure, has been shown to be at least partly dependent on the production of reactive oxygen species in endothelial and/or smooth muscle cells and the adventitia, and the subsequent decrease in vascular bioavailability of NO. Superoxide-producing enzymes involved in increased oxidative stress within vascular tissue include NAD(P)H-oxidase, xanthine oxidase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in an uncoupled state. Recent studies indicate that endothelial dysfunction of peripheral and coronary resistance and conductance vessels represents a strong and independent risk factor for future cardiovascular events. Ways to reduce endothelial dysfunction include risk-factor modification and treatment with substances that have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and, simultaneously, to stimulate endothelial NO production, such as inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme or the statins. In contrast, in conditions where increased production of reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide, in vascular tissue is established, treatment with NO, e.g. via administration of nitroglycerin, results in a rapid development of endothelial dysfunction, which may worsen the prognosis in patients with established coronary artery disease.

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