Rainforest expansion reduces understorey plant diversity and density in open forest of eastern Australia

Baker, Andrew G.; Catterall, Claudia; Benkendorff, Kirsten; Fensham, R. J.

doi:10.1111/aec.12871

Cited by 18 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 99 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…However, it also led to introduction of invasive plant species (Bolton and Amato 2019). Rainforest trees invasion in open forests led to decline in understory plant diversity and cover in open forests in Australia (Baker et al, 2020). Light availability was positively correlated with understory plant species richness and with understory cover in temperate forest also (Dormann et.…”

Section: Discussion Species Composition and Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of tree canopy on species composition, diversity and biomass of herbaceous vegetation and soil characteristics in semi-arid forests of the Aravalli hills

Garg

Joshi

Garkoti

2020

Preprint

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Background: Herbaceous vegetation is of great ecological importance and responds quickly to environmental changes. Present study was aimed to understand the variation in herbaceous species composition, diversity, biomass and soil physicochemical properties in canopy gaps and under the canopy of semi-arid forests in the Aravalli hills. Methods: Four permanent plots consisting of canopy gaps and under canopy were established. To study herbs phytosociological attributes and biomass, 10 quadrats of 0.5 x 0.5 m size were laid in each plot. For soil physico-chemical properties, 5 soil samples were collected randomly at 0-10 cm depth from each plot. Relationship between biodiversity indices, herbs biomass and soil physicochemical properties was determined using Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and correlation analyses. Results: The sites differed in terms of herbaceous species composition, diversity, biomass and soil physico-chemical properties. Canopy gaps were dominated by grasses while forbs were higher under the canopy. Across the sites, poaceae was the dominant family. All species showed contagious distribution pattern. Oplismenus burmannii reported highest IVI (138.0; 230.5) under the canopy while Achyranthes aspera (56.15) and Eragrostis ciliaris (53.1) had highest IVI in canopy gaps. Diversity indices were higher in canopy gaps. Herbaceous community biomass in canopy gaps ranged from 700-900 gm-2 while under the canopy it ranged from 30-70 gm-2. Cenchrus ciliaris (597.97 gm-2) and Chrysopogon sp. (391.2 gm-2) constituted major proportion of biomass in canopy gaps. The soil of under canopy regions had lower pH and bulk density, but higher soil moisture (%), electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), SOC stock and soil TN stock than the canopy gaps. Linear positive relationship between species diversity and biomass; negative relationship between soil chemical properties and herbaceous biomass was found in study area. Even though canopy had positive effects on soil physico-chemical properties, overall negative effect on herbaceous diversity and biomass was seen. Conclusions: Reduced light for photosynthesis and tree root competition for soil resources may be the major factors negatively affecting herbaceous diversity and biomass. Canopy had a significant impact and herbs species composition, diversity, biomass and soil physico-chemical properties showed distinct differences in relation to it.

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Section: Discussion Species Composition and Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of tree canopy on species composition, diversity and biomass of herbaceous vegetation and soil characteristics in semi-arid forests of the Aravalli hills

Garg

Joshi

Garkoti

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…2019; Baker et al . 2020). Finally, it can favour some species over others, producing increases in species with traits that allow them to survive and/or regenerate post‐fire more rapidly than others (Scholl & Taylor 2010; Gould et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2021) and hence changes species richness, abundance and composition (Scholl & Taylor 2010; Baker et al . 2020) and future fire regimes (Murphy & Bowman 2012; Clarke et al . 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying potential effect of 2019 fires on national parks and vegetation in South‐East Queensland

Smith¹,

Velasquez²,

Pickering³

2021

Eco Management Restoration

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Summary Fire is a major type of ecological disturbance shaping plant communities and species distributions. Fires in the spring and summer of 2019/2020 in Australia burnt large areas where this type of disturbance was rare in the past, including in the South‐East Queensland region. To assess the potential impacts of these fires, online GIS data layers were used to map where the fires occurred and which protected areas, plant communities and threatened plants were likely burnt. Based on clustering of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite sensor fire points, 3% (240,000 ha) of the region may have burnt including 107,606 ha of National Parks, sections of 18 Broad Vegetation Groups and 74 Regional Ecosystems and potential habitat of 74 threatened plant species. This included 16% of wet open forests and 13% of rainforests. The results provide preliminary insights into the potential scale of the fires and impact on biodiversity from mapping based on online data, but we also that more detailed mapping including of fire intensity and perimeter combined with ground truthing and ongoing monitoring would be required to better understand changes in fire regimes in the region.

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“…Also evident in re suppressed coastal regions of eastern Australia, rainforest pioneer species are invading long unburnt open forests, providing shading that suppresses understory growth in favour of mesic species, reducing the vegetation ammability and enabling a shift from a re-dependent ecosystem towards a re-resistant ecosystem (Bakeret al 2020). Upon invasion, rainforest species can reduce plant diversity and density in open forests, diminish critical habitat and drive localised species extinctions (Baker and Catterall 2015;Baker et al 2020a;Baker et al 2020b).…”

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confidence: 99%

Efficacy of eastern Australian rainforests and topography as fire refugia under anthropogenic climate change

Bennell¹,

Stewart²,

Moss³

2021

Preprint

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Background: The 2019-20 Australian bushfire season was the most environmentally detrimental bushfire season on record. The extreme heat and drought exposed normally fire-resistant communities to uncharacteristically dry fuel loads and abnormally high severity burning. In eastern Australia this included mesic rainforest environments (including the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia), which are often highly sensitive to fire, contain high biodiversity values, are critical habitat for threatened species, embody distinct endemism, provide valuable ecosystem services and are critical for terrestrial carbon storage. East coast rainforests are also highly fragmented, with less than half of pre-European levels remaining. Increases in fire frequency and intensity associated with climate change may threaten these already fragmented rainforest environments. This study considers the efficacy of rainforest refugia under a heightened bushfire climate, via spatial analysis of burn extent, burn severity and topographic characteristics for rainforests during the 2019-20 bushfire season within the Eastern Australian Temperate and Subtropical Forests Conservation Management Zone.Results: Burn severity, vegetation and elevation datasets were merged and analysed across mid-eastern Australia. A significant portion of rainforest was fire affected across the study area (~17%), with ~5% burnt to a high or very high severity. Elevation, topographic position (i.e. valleys), slope and aspect all contributed to maintaining rainforest fire refugia. The study resulted in a mapping product that can be utilised by researchers and protected area managers to locate and assess burnt rainforest in mid-eastern Australia.Conclusions: This study enables the identification of rainforest fire refugia and threatened rainforest communities for future research and conservation efforts in eastern Australia. The results also demonstrate the potential of climate change to enact widespread rainforest declines, with potentially dire consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services. This event and recurrent fire events may enact positive climate feedback systems by enabling pyrophytic vegetation expansion and converting rainforest carbon pools into a carbon source.

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Rainforest expansion reduces understorey plant diversity and density in open forest of eastern Australia

Abstract: This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Cited by 18 publications

References 99 publications

Effect of tree canopy on species composition, diversity and biomass of herbaceous vegetation and soil characteristics in semi-arid forests of the Aravalli hills

Effect of tree canopy on species composition, diversity and biomass of herbaceous vegetation and soil characteristics in semi-arid forests of the Aravalli hills

Quantifying potential effect of 2019 fires on national parks and vegetation in South‐East Queensland

Efficacy of eastern Australian rainforests and topography as fire refugia under anthropogenic climate change

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