Postfire seedling recruitment at the southern limit of lichen woodland

Moss, Melissa MossM.; Hermanutz, Luise

doi:10.1139/x09-150

Cited by 21 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…A warmer climate would favour seed viability, leading to denser stands (Gamache & Payette ; Meunier, Sirois & Begin ). Nevertheless, seedling mortality is sensitive to episodic, prolonged and/or repeated drought (Moss & Hermanutz ), and forest recovery is slower during dry post‐fire years or on dry surface deposits (Mansuy et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A warmer climate would favour seed viability, leading to denser stands (Gamache & Payette 2005;Meunier, Sirois & Begin 2007). Nevertheless, seedling mortality is sensitive to episodic, prolonged and/or repeated drought (Moss & Hermanutz 2009), and forest recovery is slower during dry post-fire years or on dry surface deposits (Mansuy et al 2012). The CO 2 fertilization effect would increase plant productivity until a concentration threshold (Amthor 1995), whereas the increased temperature effect on productivity is still debated (Way & Sage 2008;Girardin et al 2012).…”

Section: M P L I C a T I O N S F O R T H E L O C A T I O N O F T H mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long‐term fire history in northern Quebec: implications for the northern limit of commercial forests

Asselin

Finsinger

Hély

et al. 2014

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. Fire frequency is expected to increase in boreal forests over the next century owing to climate change. In Quebec (Canada), the location of the northern limit of commercial forests (c. 51°N) was established in 2000 taking into account mainly forest productivity and fire risk. The location of the limit is currently under debate and is being re-evaluated based on a more extensive survey of the territory. We characterized the natural variability of fire occurrence (FO) in the area surrounding the northern limit, and these results are a useful contribution to discussions on the re-evaluation of its location. 2. Regional FO over the last 7000 years was reconstructed from sedimentary charcoal records from 11 lakes located in three regions surrounding the northern limit (i.e. south, north and near the limit). Holocene simulated precipitation and temperature from a general circulation model (GCM) were used to identify the long-term interactions between climate and fire. 3. Fire histories displayed similar trends in all three regions, with FO increasing from 7000 calibrated years before present (cal. years BP) to reach a maximum at 4000-3000 cal. years BP, before decreasing during the late-Holocene. This trend matches the simulated changes in climate, characterized by drier and warmer conditions between 7000 and 3500 cal. years BP and cooler and moister conditions between 3500 and 0 cal. years BP. 4. Northern ecosystems displayed higher sensitivity to climate change. The natural variability of FO was narrower in the southern region compared with the limit and northern regions. An abrupt decrease in FO was recorded close to and north of the limit at 3000 cal. years BP, whereas the decrease was more gradual in the south. 5. Synthesis and applications. We reconstructed the natural variability in fire activity over the last 7000 years near the current location of the northern limit of commercial forests in Quebec. Fire occurrences were more sensitive to climate change near to and north of the limit of commercial forestry. In the context of predicted increase in fire activity, the lower resilience of northern forests advocates against a northern repositioning of the limit of commercial forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: M P L I C a T I O N S F O R T H E L O C A T I O N O F T H mentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term fire history in northern Quebec: implications for the northern limit of commercial forests

Asselin

Finsinger

Hély

et al. 2014

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…It may be more difficult for P. mariana, in particular, to become established in higher elevation sites as compared to P. glauca for two primary reasons: the rarity of fire (Lloyd et al 2007) and increased drought in alpine sites (Black andBliss 1980, Moss andHermanutz 2009). Picea mariana retains its semi-serotinous cones as an aerial seed bank, and following a fire, cones open and release seeds onto the burnt forest floor (Arseneault 2001).…”

Section: Changes In the Position And Character Of Treelinementioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape‐scale patterns in tree occupancy and abundance in subarctic Alaska

Roland

Schmidt

Nicklen

2013

Ecological Monographs

125

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Recent studies suggest that climate warming in interior Alaska may result in major shifts from spruce-dominated forests to broadleaf-dominated forests or even grasslands. To quantify patterns in tree distribution and abundance and to investigate the potential for changes in forest dynamics through time, we initiated a spatially extensive vegetation monitoring program covering 1.28 million ha in Denali National Park and Preserve (DNPP). Using a probabilistic sampling design, we collected field measurements throughout the study area to develop spatially explicit Bayesian hierarchical models of tree occupancy and abundance. These models demonstrated a strong partitioning of the landscape among the six tree species in DNPP, and allowed us to account for and examine residual spatial autocorrelation in our data. Tree distributions were governed by two primary ecological gradients: (1) the gradient from low elevation, poorly drained, permafrost-influenced sites with shallow active layers and low soil pH (dominated by Picea mariana) to deeply thawed and more productive sites at mid-elevation with higher soil pH on mineral substrate (dominated by Picea glauca); and (2) the gradient from older, less recently disturbed sites dominated by conifers to those recently affected by disturbance in the form of fire and flooding with increased occupancy and abundance of broadleaf species. We found that the establishment of broadleaf species was largely dependent on disturbance, and mixed forests and pure stands of broadleaf trees were relatively rare and occurred in localized areas. Contrary to recent work in nearby areas of interior Alaska, our results suggest that P. glauca distribution may actually increase in DNPP under warming conditions rather than decline as previously predicted, as P. glauca expands into areas formerly underlain by permafrost. We found no evidence of a shift to broadleaf forests in DNPP, particularly in the poorly drained basin landscape positions that may be resistant to such changes. Overall, our results indicate that probabilistic sampling conducted at a landscape scale can improve inference relative to the habitat associations driving the distribution and abundance of trees in the boreal forest and the potential effects of climate change on them.

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“…dispersal, emergence, survival, growth;Grubb 1977;Harper 1977). Although many abiotic and biotic factors, such as seed arrival, light, soil physical and chemical properties, pathogens, herbivory or competition with herbs, have been observed to disrupt the stage cascade by acting at some of these demographical transitions (Schupp 1993;Davis et al 1999;Nicotra et al 1999;Herrera 2002), drought is considered a primary limitation to seedling establishment in many environments (Moles & Westoby 2004;Moss & Hermanutz 2009). Both experimental and natural drought conditions have been shown to negatively influence seed dispersal, seed bank, seedling emergence and performance (survival and growth) in Mediterranean ecosystems (Borchert et al 1989;Dunne & Parker 1999;Castro et al 2004;Lloret et al 2005;del Cacho et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seedling emergence and growth of Quercus spp. following severe drought effects on a Pinus sylvestris canopy

Galiano

Martínez‐Vilalta

Gozalbo

et al. 2012

J Vegetation Science

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Questions We addressed the following questions: (1) did defoliation and die‐off of the dominant Pinus sylvestris, induced by an extreme drought episode, favour emergence of other tree species; (2) did the defoliated canopies of P. sylvestris resulting from drought promote radial growth among other pre‐existing tree species seedlings under them? Location P. sylvestris forest in Central Pyrenees (NE Spain) affected by a severe drought in 2004–2005. Methods Despite increased focus on climate‐related forest die‐off, studies of the effects on regeneration processes following extreme drought remain scarce. We analysed whether an episode of drought‐induced mortality on the dominant P. sylvestris L. may act as a driver of vegetation shift. Seedlings of Quercus humilis Mill. and Q. ilex L. from 27 plots were sampled under P. sylvestris canopies with <50% and ≥50% defoliation (standing dead trees included) to determine age distribution and radial growth using a retrospective, dendrochronological approach. Results Drought‐induced canopy losses appear not to be compensated by regeneration of P. sylvestris. Recruitment of below‐canopy tree species (specifically Q. humilis and Q. ilex) that could potentially become dominant was high in the entire studied area. However, the spatial patterns of Quercus spp. regeneration following the 2004–2005 drought were complex. While the emergence of new Quercus spp. seedlings was reduced under open, drought‐induced canopies, growth of seedlings already established was favoured in open‐canopy conditions. Conclusions Although the effects of extreme drought events may disfavour the establishment of new recruits, enhanced growth responses of a pre‐established seedling bank could still contribute to accelerate forest dynamics under drier conditions. Because of the predicted increases in intensity and frequency of extreme droughts, monitoring studies are key to elucidate whether the initial patterns observed will be maintained in the long term, eventually leading to a vegetation shift.

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Postfire seedling recruitment at the southern limit of lichen woodland

Cited by 21 publications

References 25 publications

Long‐term fire history in northern Quebec: implications for the northern limit of commercial forests

Long‐term fire history in northern Quebec: implications for the northern limit of commercial forests

Landscape‐scale patterns in tree occupancy and abundance in subarctic Alaska

Seedling emergence and growth of Quercus spp. following severe drought effects on a Pinus sylvestris canopy

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