Revealing the Impact of Understory Fires on Stem Survival in Palms (Arecaceae): An Experimental Approach Using Predictive Models

Abstract

Amid increasing deforestation, surface fires reaching the forest understory are one of the primary threats to Amazonian ecosystems. Despite extensive research on post-fire mortality in woody species, the literature on palm resilience to fire is scant. This study investigates post-fire mortality in four understory palms, namely Bactris maraja Mart., Chamaedorea pauciflora Mart., Geonoma deversa (Poit.) Kunth, Hyospathe elegans Mart., and juvenile individuals of Euterpe precatoria Mart. (açaí palm). The objectives included (a) comparing post-fire responses; (b) developing mortality models based on severity variables; and (c) evaluating if diameter protects bud stems from heat flux. Conducted at the edge of an Ombrophylous Forest in Alto Juruá Acre, Brazil (7°45′ S, 72°22′ W), the experiment subjected 85 individuals to controlled burning in a 1 m2 area near the palm stem, with temperature sampling using K thermocouples. The results showed varying mortality rates among species, with a larger palm stem diameter correlating to reduced mortality. Crown burning patterns significantly influenced mortality, especially for Euterpe precatoria. The species exhibited diverse regrowth capacities, with B. maraja showing the highest number and tallest basal resprouts. The variation in morphology among species appeared to be more important than the amount of heat flux applied to each individual involved in the experiment, as no significant difference was observed in the time–temperature history measured. This study underscores post-fire plant mortality as a critical indicator of fire severity, essential for understanding its ecological impacts.