Fall rate of burnt pines across an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean mountain

Molinas-González, Carlos R.; Leverkus, Alexandro B.; Marañón-Jiménez, Sara; Castro, Jorge

doi:10.1007/s10342-017-1040-9

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…, Molinas‐González et al. ). Consequently, the post‐fire peak in standing dead trees may be more prolonged, and the peak in post‐fire DWD may occur later, after a long, compared to a short, prior interval. Multiple short intervals will lead to loss of legacy woody debris: It is plausible that large woody debris can persist through one or more fire(s) after their fire‐initiated generation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Short prior intervals have resulted in substantially reduced post-fire woody debris biomass relative to long prior intervals in some cases . It is likely that rates of attrition of fire-killed standing dead trees vary depending on tree size (hence prior fire interval; Gosper et al 2013a), with larger standing dead trees perhaps being more resilient to collapse than smaller standing dead trees (Lindenmayer et al 1997, Molinas-Gonz alez et al 2017. Consequently, the post-fire peak in standing dead trees may be more prolonged, and the peak in post-fire DWD may occur later, after a long, compared to a short, prior interval.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Time since fire and prior fire interval shape woody debris dynamics in obligate‐seeder woodlands

Gosper

Yates²,

Fox

et al. 2019

Ecosphere

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Woody debris plays an important role in many ecosystem functions, including nutrient and carbon cycling, providing substrates for plant recruitment and habitat for fauna. Fires can affect woody debris stocks, through generating new pieces by killing or severing plant parts and consuming pre‐existing woody debris. We develop a model of woody debris dynamics with variation in time since fire and prior fire interval applicable to obligate‐seeder forests and woodlands, considering down woody debris and standing dead trees as discrete components. We then test predictions of change in woody debris derived from this model in Eucalyptus salubris woodlands in South‐Western Australia, using a multi‐century chronosequence with recent fires varying between having short (<50 yr since the previous fire) or long (>50 yr, but often much longer) prior intervals. As per our woody debris dynamics model, most attributes measured were affected by time since fire, prior fire interval, or their interaction. Woody debris biomass was greatest shortly after fire, reflecting high quantities of standing dead trees resulting from stand‐replacement disturbance. Standing dead tree density and biomass then declined with increasing time since fire, but individual dead tree size was high beyond 200 yr since fire. Down woody debris biomass remained relatively stable with time since fire, but piece size increased. Dimensions of woody debris were strongly influenced by prior fire interval, with long prior intervals resulting in pieces at least twice the size than those occurring after short prior intervals. Fire management to maximize the availability of large woody debris pieces for fauna should aim to minimize short fire intervals, while from a carbon management perspective, all fires in obligate‐seeder forests and woodlands set in train large and prolonged emissions of carbon.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time since fire and prior fire interval shape woody debris dynamics in obligate‐seeder woodlands

Gosper

Yates²,

Fox

et al. 2019

Ecosphere

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“…Still, the wood lost up to 26% and 32% of its mass in plots 1 and 2 (lowest and intermediate elevations, respectively) after 10 years, which supports that decomposition, despite being slower than in other temperate ecosystems, remains fast enough to ensure nutrient turnover, increase soil fertility, and reduce the fuel potential of the burnt logs [24,30,31]. Although the logs laid out for this study likely decomposed faster than the remaining wood due to their direct contact with the soil, the decomposition of the standing snags was likely not much slower, as all of them had collapsed and were mostly touching the ground 5.5 years after the fire [46].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…For this study, we made use of areas in which 90% of the burnt trees were felled, the trunks were separated from their main branches and cut in pieces of ca. 2 m, and all the wood was left on the ground [46]. The climate is Mediterranean, with rainfall concentrated in spring and autumn, alternating with hot, dry summers.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Deadwood Decay in a Burnt Mediterranean Pine Reforestation

Molinas-González

Castro

Leverkus

2017

Forests

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Dead wood remaining after wildfires represents a biological legacy for forest regeneration, and its decay is both cause and consequence of a large set of ecological processes. However, the rate of wood decomposition after fires is still poorly understood, particularly for Mediterranean-type ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed deadwood decomposition following a wildfire in a Mediterranean pine plantation in the Sierra Nevada Natural and National Park (southeast Spain). Three plots were established over an elevational/species gradient spanning from 1477 to 2053 m above sea level, in which burnt logs of three species of pines were experimentally laid out and wood densities were estimated five times over ten years. The logs lost an overall 23% of their density, although this value ranged from an average 11% at the highest-elevation plot (dominated by Pinus sylvestris) to 32% at an intermediate elevation (with P. nigra). Contrary to studies in other climates, large-diameter logs decomposed faster than small-diameter logs. Our results provide one of the longest time series for wood decomposition in Mediterranean ecosystems and suggest that this process provides spatial variability in the post-fire ecosystem at the scale of stands due to variable speeds of decay. Common management practices such as salvage logging diminish burnt wood and influence the rich ecological processes related to its decay.

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“…In addition, following disturbance, conservation objectives are often overtaken by other arguments. Initially, the rapid collapse of dead trees (e.g., Molinas‐González, Leverkus, Marañón‐Jiménez, & Castro, ) constitutes a public safety hazard that demands logging of affected trees near roads and other infrastructure. Salvage logging also aims to reduce some negative consequences of disturbance, such as limited access across the disturbed area (Leverkus, Puerta‐Piñero, Guzmán‐Álvarez, Navarro, & Castro, ).…”

Section: Salvage Logging and Interaction Chainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salvage logging in the world’s forests: Interactions between natural disturbance and logging need recognition

Leverkus

Lindenmayer

Thorn

et al. 2018

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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110

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Aim Large disturbances increasingly shape the world's forests. Concomitantly, increasing amounts of forest are subject to salvage logging. Understanding and managing the world's forests thus increasingly hinges upon understanding the combined effects of natural disturbance and logging disturbance, including interactions so far unnoticed. Here, we use recent advances in disturbance‐interaction theory to disentangle and describe the mechanisms through which natural disturbance (e.g., wildfire, insect outbreak or windstorm) can interact with anthropogenic disturbance (logging) to produce unanticipated effects. We also explore to what extent such interactions have been addressed in empirical research globally. Insights First, many ecological responses to salvage logging likely result from interaction modifications—i.e., from non‐additive effects– between natural disturbance and logging. However, based on a systematic review encompassing 209 relevant papers, we found that interaction modifications have been largely neglected. Second, salvage logging constitutes an interaction chain because natural disturbances increase the likelihood, intensity and extent of subsequent logging disturbance due to complex socio‐ecological interactions. Both interaction modifications and interaction chains can be driven by nonlinear responses to the severity of each disturbance. We show that, whereas many of the effects of salvage logging likely arise from the multiple kinds of disturbance interactions between natural disturbance and logging, they have mostly been overlooked in research to date. Conclusions Interactions between natural disturbance and logging imply that increasing disturbances will produce even more disturbance, and with unknown characteristics and consequences. Disentangling the pathways producing disturbance interactions is thus crucial to guide management and policy regarding naturally disturbed forests.

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Fall rate of burnt pines across an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean mountain

Cited by 18 publications

References 49 publications

Time since fire and prior fire interval shape woody debris dynamics in obligate‐seeder woodlands

Time since fire and prior fire interval shape woody debris dynamics in obligate‐seeder woodlands

Deadwood Decay in a Burnt Mediterranean Pine Reforestation

Salvage logging in the world’s forests: Interactions between natural disturbance and logging need recognition

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