Species trait selection along a prescribed fire chronosequence

Bargmann, Tessa; Heegaard, Einar; Hatteland, Bjørn Arild; Chipperfield, Joseph D.; Grytnes, John‐Arvid

doi:10.1111/icad.12182

Cited by 23 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…CATS allows the explicit evaluation of the role of traits in the system response to a disturbance such as a wildfire (e.g. Bargmann, Heegaard, Hatteland, Chipperfield, & Grytnes, 2016;Mouillot, Graham, Villéger, Mason, & Bellwood, 2013;Niu, He, & Lechowicz, 2016). Therefore, it may be useful to understand the impact of a wildfire disturbance and its implications on community assembly in fire-prone regions where wildfires are predicted to increase (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing trait selection patterns in temporary ponds in response to wildfire disturbance and seasonal succession

Cunillera‐Montcusí

Arim

Gascón

et al. 2020

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Mediterranean ecosystems are increasingly threatened by disturbances such as wildfires. These disturbances are expected to shift the selective pressures that determine trait‐dependent community assembly. In addition, the stochasticity in species assembly may decrease because of the introduction of strong selection regimes or may increase because of random variation in recruitment. However, these changes in the selection profile and stochasticity in disturbed communities have seldom been evaluated. We examined the relative roles of wildfire disturbance, local conditions and successional dynamics on the assembly of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. We used the theory of community assembly by trait selection (CATS) to identify traits under selection and to estimate their dependence on wildfire disturbance and environmental gradients. We took advantage of a natural wildfire that partially burned a Mediterranean system of temporary ponds, which were surveyed before and after the wildfire, creating a natural before‐after‐control‐impact design. Before the wildfire, the burned and unburned ponds did not show differences in the selected traits. After the wildfire event, species with larger body sizes and scrapers were favoured in the burned ponds, while collectors and active dispersers were underrepresented. Nonetheless, local environmental conditions and successional dynamics had greater relevance in the selection of traits than the wildfire. This suggests that assembly mechanisms were largely determined by seasonal successional changes regardless of wildfire disturbance. Finally, the relevance of the analysed traits diminished during the hydroperiod, suggesting more stochastic assemblages and/or a replacement in the set of selected traits. Despite the prominent role of seasonal succession over wildfire, this disturbance was associated with a change in the selection strength over specific traits related with feeding strategies and species life histories. Both hydroperiod and wildfire highlighted a strong role of trait‐mediated processes (i.e. niche assembly). Therefore, the predicted increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires is likely to result in community functional shifts. Furthermore, stochasticity was also important for community assembly, particularly from the middle towards the end of the hydroperiod. Our results evidenced the strong relevance of successional changes in trait‐mediated assembly mechanisms and its interplay with wildfire disturbance in temporary pond communities.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing trait selection patterns in temporary ponds in response to wildfire disturbance and seasonal succession

Cunillera‐Montcusí

Arim

Gascón

et al. 2020

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…The heterogeneity in habitat structure associated with burning can have important effects. For example in the study by Bargmann et al (2016), variation in the composition of invertebrate communities meant traditional burning practices increased diversity of this group at the landscape scale. Davies and Legg (2008) found similar effects for lichen species and Velle et al (2014) for vascular plants.…”

Section: Species Habitat and Ecosystem Diversity -The Importance Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

Informed debate on the use of fire for peatland management means acknowledging the complexity of socio-ecological systems

Davies¹,

Kettridge²,

Stoof³

et al. 2016

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The effects of fire and its use on European peatlands and heaths are the focus of considerable research and debate due to the important services these ecosystems provide and the threats they face from climatic and land-use change. Whilst in some countries ecologists are actively promoting the restoration of historic fire management regimes, in the UK the debate has become increasingly acrimonious. Positions seem entrenched between continuing the intensive form of management associated with grouse moors or ceasing burning and seeking to eliminate fire altogether. In a recent paper we argued that participants' positions appeared influenced by political and philosophical beliefs associated with, for example, private land-own- FORUM PAPER Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservationA peer-reviewed open-access journal G. Matt Davies et al. / Nature Conservation 16: 59-77 (2016) 60 ership, hunting, and associated conservation conflicts such as raptor persecution. We also suggested there was inadequate engagement with key concepts and evidence from fire and peatland ecology. We argued that management debates should aim to be inclusive and evidence-based, and to understand the benefits and costs of different fire regimes. In a strongly-worded critique of our paper, George Monbiot (author of "Feral: Searching for Enchantment on the Frontiers of Rewilding") suggested we: i) framed our research question too narrowly; ii) made the implicit assumption that moorlands were the "right" ecosystem for the UK countryside; and iii) failed to adequately engage with arguments put forward for cessation of managed burning. Here we critically examine each of these issues to provide further insight into how adaptive, participatory land-management could develop. We argue that a productive debate must acknowledge that complex trade-offs are inevitable during ecological management. Choosing the "right" ecosystem is difficult, especially in a landscape with a long history of human influence, and the answer depends on the values and ecosystem services we prioritize. Natural resource management decisions will be improved if based on an understanding and valuation of the multiple scales and levels of organization at which ecological diversity exists, the role of disturbance in controlling ecosystem composition and function, and the need for participatory action.

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“…Beetle groups generally decrease rapidly in abundance after fire, depending on the intensity of burn and mobility of taxa (Dunwiddie, ). Ground beetles have been found to respond to prescribed fire in traits related with diet and moisture levels (Bargmann et al ., ). For instance, darkling beetles have been found to increase in abundance but with suppressed diversity in response to fire (Fattorini, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Although the effects of fire and grazing are strongly linked and interrelated, only few studies have investigated species‐specific responses and compositional dynamics caused by interaction effects by fire and grazing (Moranz et al ., ; Jonas & Joern, ; Debinski et al ., ). Studies on the effects of fire alone are more prominent (ie, Dunwiddie, ; Bargmann et al ., ; Fattorini, ; Swengel, ). Beetle groups generally decrease rapidly in abundance after fire, depending on the intensity of burn and mobility of taxa (Dunwiddie, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short‐term responses of darkling beetles (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae) to the effects of fire and grazing in savannah rangeland

Reinhard

Geißler

Blaum

2018

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Fire and grazing shape biodiversity in savannah landscapes. In land use management, knowing the effects of fire and grazing on biodiversity are important in order to ensure environmental sustainability. Beetles specifically are indicators of the biodiversity response to fire and grazing. A grazing exclusion and burning experiment in a split‐plot design was used in order to investigate the interacting effects of fire and wildlife grazing on biomass, diversity, and species composition of darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) over time after fire. Darkling beetle species richness and diversity were responding in a three‐way‐interaction to fire, grazing, and time after fire, whereby biomass of darkling beetles remained unaffected and species compositional changes were attributed to seasonal changes of time only. Fire on ungrazed plots had a negative effect on species diversity and richness 2 weeks and 6 months post fire, whereas fire on grazed plots had no impact on species diversity and richness. Grazing only lowered species diversity and richness 6 months after fire treatments. Results suggest that grazing overrides the effects of fire and that the similar effects caused by fire and grazing are due to niche and assemblage simplification of the habitat.

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Species trait selection along a prescribed fire chronosequence

Cited by 23 publications

References 60 publications

Addressing trait selection patterns in temporary ponds in response to wildfire disturbance and seasonal succession

Addressing trait selection patterns in temporary ponds in response to wildfire disturbance and seasonal succession

Informed debate on the use of fire for peatland management means acknowledging the complexity of socio-ecological systems

Short‐term responses of darkling beetles (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae) to the effects of fire and grazing in savannah rangeland

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