Repeated disturbance through chaining and burning differentially affects recruitment among plant functional types in fire-prone heathlands
Carl R. Gosper A B C , Suzanne M. Prober B and Colin J. Yates AA Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia.
B CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Private Mail Bag 5, PO Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: carl.gosper@csiro.au
International Journal of Wildland Fire 19(1) 52-62 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF08200
Submitted: 8 December 2008 Accepted: 22 June 2009 Published: 5 February 2010
Abstract
Managing fire regimes is increasingly recognised as important for biodiversity conservation in fragmented agricultural landscapes in fire-prone regions. In the global biodiversity hotspot of south-west Western Australia, chaining and burning is a novel technique for facilitating fire management. Vegetation is first dislodged using a chain, then after a period of curing, burnt. The effects on plant communities are largely unstudied, despite the potential consequences of combining two disturbance events. We hypothesised that outcomes would vary depending on plant functional types defined by disturbance response. We compared plant community composition and recruitment and resprouting of plant functional types in mallee-heath subject to chaining and burning, burning only and neither of these. The effects of chaining and burning did not differ from only burning at the community level. Importantly, however, we recorded 90% fewer recruits of serotinous, obligate seeders in chained and burnt compared with only burnt plots, and a 44% decrease in their species richness. By contrast, recruits of obligate seeding shrubs and fire-ephemeral herbs with persistent soil-stored seed banks increased by 166% in chained and burnt plots. Sprouters showed little difference. We conclude that chaining and burning is likely to significantly alter vegetation composition, and potentially poses a significant threat to serotinous, obligate seeders. These impacts require consideration in fire management planning.
Additional keywords: ephemerals, firebreak, fuel management, obligate seeder, seed bank, serotinous, south-west Western Australia, sprouter.
Acknowledgements
We thank Mitchell Davies (Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Katanning) and Greg Broomhall (DEC, Albany) for providing information on chaining and burning events, Anne Rick for expert assistance with the floristic surveys, Blair Parsons and Georg Wiehl (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems (CSE)) for assistance in the field, and Matthew Williams (DEC, Science Division) for statistical advice. Lachie McCaw (DEC, Science Division) and Peter Stone (CSE, Brisbane) provided helpful comments on drafts of the manuscript.
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