Postfire Chaparral Succession in Southern California

Abstract

The vegetation of two chaparral stands of different age in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California was analyzed in 1959, was completely destroyed by wildfire in 1960, and was reanalyzed by 1/100-acre quadrats in 1965, 41 /2 years after the wildfire. The 1965 vegetation of north-facing slopes in both stands contained more plants and more species and generally taller individual plants than south-facing slopes. Postfire vegetation was composed mainly of rootcrown sprouts and seedlings of prefire species. Direct comparisons of prefire (1959) and postfire vegetation (1965) showed that, although overall shrub composition of chaparral in Southern California is relatively stable, vegetation after fire was altered in plant number within species and in species composition. Seedlings of invading species are influential in stand succession.

Stages of Plant Succession in Fagus Sylvatica L. And Pinus Sylvestris L. Forests of Tejera Negra Natural Park (Central Spain), Three Years After Fire

“…The floristic richness and vegetation structure become similar to those before fire in an autosuccession process Lepart, 1980, 1981;Trabaud, 1983Trabaud, , 1984Trabaud, , 1987Arianoutsou, 1984;Casal, 1987;Tarrega and Luis, 1988;De Lillis and Testi, 1990). A similar process has been noted for Australian Mediterranean ecosystems (Purdie and Slatyer, 1976), Cape, South Africa, (Kruger, 1977), and California (Hanes and Jones, 1967;Sweeney, 1967;Hanes, 1971;Yogi and Schorr, 1972;Christensen and Muller, 1975;Keeley, 1987). The rapid recovery of the vegetation is due to the increased physiological activity of several species expressed by vegetative, fire-stimulated resprouting and/or fire-stimulated seed germination and post-fire flower and seed production (Naveh, 1975 (Le Houerou, 1973).…”

Changes in mediterranean shrub communities with Cytisus purgans and Genista scorpius

“…We also mention the studies about post-fire successions in the Californian chaparrals, e.g. Horton & Kraebel (1955), Patric & Hanes (1964), Hanes & Jones (1967), Mooney & Parsons (1973). We notice that some authors such as Niering & Egler (1955), Niering & Goodwin (1974), Webb et al (1972), Spatz (1980), emphasized the role of shrubs to prevent the colonization by trees.…”

Diversity and stability in garrigue ecosystems after fire

“…In California, vegetation succession after fire was intensively studied in the chaparral (Sampson 1944, Stone & Juhren 1951, Horton & Kraebel 1955, Sweeney 1956, 1967, Biswell 1963, Patric & Hanes 1964Hanes & Jones 1967, Hanes 1971, Vogl & Schorr 1972. According to these authors, chaparral is well adapted to withstand recurring fires.…”