Response of native Hawaiian woody species to lava-ignited wildfires in tropical forests and shrublands

Ainsworth, Alison; Kauffman, J. Boone

doi:10.1007/s11258-008-9538-3

Cited by 22 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…While the wildland fires were stand replacing in all five communities, over half (57%) of the M. polymorpha survived fire through basal sprouting (Ainsworth & Kauffman 2009). The rates of sprout growth of M. polymorpha , however, differed among communities and by the second year postfire sprout volume was greater in the Dicranopteris forest than the other communities (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2005) overlain by shallow (5–50 cm) soils derived from volcanic ash (Kalapana and Makaopuhi series; Jasper 2007). Detailed site descriptions are provided in Ainsworth and Kauffman (2009).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cover of understory plant species (herbs, ferns, and shrubs) was measured for each species to the nearest percent within twelve 1 × 1 m subplots. Woody tree, shrub, and tree fern species survival and density by size were reported in Ainsworth and Kauffman (2009). Individual M. polymorpha tree sprout growth was quantified for all trees within each plot by measuring basal sprout height and basal sprout elliptical crown area.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Interactions of Fire and Nonnative Species Across an Elevation/Plant Community Gradient in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Ainsworth

Kauffman

2010

Biotropica

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Invasive species interacting with fires pose a relatively unknown, but potentially serious, threat to the tropical forests of Hawaii. Fires may create conditions that facilitate species invasions, but the degree to which this occurs in different tropical plant communities has not been quantified. We documented the survival and establishment of plant species for 2 yr following 2003 wildfires in tropical moist and wet forest life zones in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. Fires were ignited by lava flows and burned across a steep environmental gradient encompassing two previously burned shrub-dominated communities and three Metrosideros polymorpha forest communities. Fires in all community types were stand replacing, where 495 percent of overstory trees were top killed. Over half (457%) of the trees survived via basal sprouting, but sprout growth differed among forest communities. Sprout growth (4250,000 cm 3 ) was greatest in the forest community where postfire understory cover was lowest presumably due to thick native Dicranopteris linearis fern litter that remained postfire. In contrast, M. polymorpha sprout growth was much slower (o100,000 cm 3 ) in the two forest communities where there was rapid understory recovery of nonnative ferns Nephrolepis multiflora and invasive grasses Paspalum conjugatum. These results suggest that the rapid establishment of an invasive-dominated understory limited recovery of the overstory dominant M. polymorpha. In contrast to the three forest communities, there were few changes in vegetation composition in the shrubland communities. Nonnative species invasions coupled with repeated fires selectively eliminated fire-sensitive species thereby maintaining these communities in dominance of primarily nonnative, fire-resilient, species.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Interactions of Fire and Nonnative Species Across an Elevation/Plant Community Gradient in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Ainsworth

Kauffman

2010

Biotropica

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“…). Dodonaea viscosa also shows adaptations to fire (Ainsworth & Kauffman ), an important advantage in fire‐prone ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration of native plant communities in a Hawaiian dry lowland ecosystem dominated by the invasive grass Megathyrsus maximus

Ammondt

Litton

Ellsworth

et al. 2012

Applied Vegetation Science

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Nomenclature Wagner et al. (1999) for all native Hawaiian species USDA ARS-GRIN (www.ars-grin.gov/ npgs/) for M. maximus Abstract Questions: How does a highly degraded Hawaiian tropical dry lowland ecosystem dominated by the non-native invasive Megathyrsus maximus (guinea grass) respond to different restoration treatments (three native species outplanting treatments; four native broadcast seed treatments)? What effect do restoration treatments have on invasive and native species groundcover, biomass and physiological activity, and volumetric soil water content?Location: Waianae Kai Forest Reserve, Island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Methods:The invasive grass M. maximus was suppressed by initial mowing and pre-and post-planting herbicide applications. Native species were added in three outplant and four broadcast seed treatments in a complete randomized block design. Native species and M. maximus growth and ecophysiology, and volumetric soil water content were quantified for 8 mo following treatment establishment.Results: Native species outplant survival ranged from 38% to 67%. Cover of M. maximus was significantly reduced in all outplant treatments compared with control and treated control (mowing and herbicide without native species additions), but did not differ across outplant treatments. Of the native species, Dodonaea viscosa biomass was higher than Cordia subcordata, while other native species did not differ. Maximum photosynthetic rates (A max ) did not differ across species in July. However, in August (drier period), M. maximus exhibited lower A max than all native species except T. populnea, indicating adaptive dormancy during drought. Broadcast seeding with native species was not an effective restoration treatment, as field germination ranged from 0.5% to 2.3%.Conclusions: Ecological restoration of highly invaded Hawaiian tropical dry lowland ecosystems can be mediated through aggressive invasive species suppression and native species outplanting. Recommendations for restoration include initial removal of invasive grasses, adaptive suppression of grasses postoutplanting, and utilization of diverse native species assemblages that are ecophysiologically adapted to local conditions and competitive with M. maximus.

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“…Vayda (2006) distinguishes between factors that influence when and where ignition takes place, and those that determine fuel loads and therefore the subsequent spread and intensity of a fire. Although there are reports of volcanic activity (e.g., Ainsworth and Kauffman 2009) and lightning (e.g., Larjavaara et al 2005) leading to burning of forest, rarely are they indisputably the trigger for a major natural conflagration, even in seasonally dry areas. More commonly, humans are the stated source of ignition, either deliberately or accidentally (Stott 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass burning, humans and climate change in Southeast Asia

Taylor

2009

Biodivers Conserv

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Biomass burning is an integral part of the Earth system, influencing and being influenced by global climate conditions, vegetation cover and human activity. Fire has long been associated with certain vegetation types and land uses in Southeast Asia, but has increasingly affected forests in Indonesia over the last 50 years or so, and peat swamp forests in particular during the last two to three decades. The role of humans, as igniters of fires and as contributors to the conditions that enable fires once ignited to spread widely, is discussed. Other factors, notably the involvement of anomalous climate conditions linked to variability in the Indian and Pacific oceans, are also considered. Global warming and changes in landuse could result in biomass burning becoming more frequent in the future, threatening biodiversity and human health and leading to positive feedbacks with climate change. Deliberate action is required to break a developing disequilibrium within the Earth system: incentives currently being considered under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change aimed at curbing climate change-causing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation could help mitigate biomass burning, while the effective management of biochar, a stable form of carbon produced from the incomplete combustion of organic matter, by farmers in Southeast Asia, and in other regions where biomass burning is common, could help in carbon sequestration. The paper concludes by stressing that in order to be effective any action needs to recognise the full range of environmental and human factors underpinning biomass burning.

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Response of native Hawaiian woody species to lava-ignited wildfires in tropical forests and shrublands

Cited by 22 publications

References 23 publications

Interactions of Fire and Nonnative Species Across an Elevation/Plant Community Gradient in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Interactions of Fire and Nonnative Species Across an Elevation/Plant Community Gradient in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Restoration of native plant communities in a Hawaiian dry lowland ecosystem dominated by the invasive grass Megathyrsus maximus

Biomass burning, humans and climate change in Southeast Asia

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