Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands)
Forest fires are considered to play a fundamental role in structuring many forest plant communities. Prescribed burning is a useful tool to reduce fire risk by reducing the amount of fuel. Our main objective was to analyse the effects of prescribed burning on undergrowth species richness and diversi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Fire |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/6/4/150 |
| _version_ | 1797605519731458048 |
|---|---|
| author | José Ramón Arévalo María Bernardos Cristina González-Montelongo Federico Grillo |
| author_facet | José Ramón Arévalo María Bernardos Cristina González-Montelongo Federico Grillo |
| author_sort | José Ramón Arévalo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forest fires are considered to play a fundamental role in structuring many forest plant communities. Prescribed burning is a useful tool to reduce fire risk by reducing the amount of fuel. Our main objective was to analyse the effects of prescribed burning on undergrowth species richness and diversity as well as on other characteristic variables in a reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> stand. In areas where prescribed burning had been performed in the last 10 years, we established 8 plots of 900 m<sup>2</sup>. Their respective control plots were in nearby unburned and environmentally similar areas. We systematically selected 10 points in each plot and sampled the presence, richness and diversity of species in 1 m<sup>2</sup> grids. For each plot, the basal area, mean canopy height and average height of individuals were measured. In centred 10 × 10 m plots, shrub species were counted as well as the litter depth, litter cover and herb cover. There was no significant change in the number of species richness found when comparing burned vs. control plots. Additionally, we did not find any differences in diversity or shrub composition, nor were we able to determine the species associated with any of the treatments. The basal area and litter depth were the only parameters that revealed significant differences. Ecologically, prescribed fire is a good practice to reduce biomass accumulation in <i>P. canariensis</i> plantations, with little effect on species richness and forest structure but with positive effects for stand management, insofar as biomass reduction can help control summer wildfires. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:02:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91bb6f6af2ec49e4bef83b26c6ba1220 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-6255 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:02:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fire |
| spelling | doaj.art-91bb6f6af2ec49e4bef83b26c6ba12202023-11-17T19:11:51ZengMDPI AGFire2571-62552023-04-016415010.3390/fire6040150Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands)José Ramón Arévalo0María Bernardos1Cristina González-Montelongo2Federico Grillo3Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal (Área de Ecología), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, SpainDepartamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal (Área de Ecología), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, SpainDepartamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal (Área de Ecología), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, SpainSeguridad y Control de Riesgos, Estructura de Teleformación, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35003 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainForest fires are considered to play a fundamental role in structuring many forest plant communities. Prescribed burning is a useful tool to reduce fire risk by reducing the amount of fuel. Our main objective was to analyse the effects of prescribed burning on undergrowth species richness and diversity as well as on other characteristic variables in a reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> stand. In areas where prescribed burning had been performed in the last 10 years, we established 8 plots of 900 m<sup>2</sup>. Their respective control plots were in nearby unburned and environmentally similar areas. We systematically selected 10 points in each plot and sampled the presence, richness and diversity of species in 1 m<sup>2</sup> grids. For each plot, the basal area, mean canopy height and average height of individuals were measured. In centred 10 × 10 m plots, shrub species were counted as well as the litter depth, litter cover and herb cover. There was no significant change in the number of species richness found when comparing burned vs. control plots. Additionally, we did not find any differences in diversity or shrub composition, nor were we able to determine the species associated with any of the treatments. The basal area and litter depth were the only parameters that revealed significant differences. Ecologically, prescribed fire is a good practice to reduce biomass accumulation in <i>P. canariensis</i> plantations, with little effect on species richness and forest structure but with positive effects for stand management, insofar as biomass reduction can help control summer wildfires.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/6/4/150firefuel-load managementpine forestreforestationvegetation dynamics |
| spellingShingle | José Ramón Arévalo María Bernardos Cristina González-Montelongo Federico Grillo Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands) Fire fire fuel-load management pine forest reforestation vegetation dynamics |
| title | Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands) |
| title_full | Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands) |
| title_fullStr | Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands) |
| title_short | Prescribed Burning Effect on the Richness, Diversity and Forest Structure of an Endemic Reforested <i>Pinus canariensis</i> Stand (Canary Islands) |
| title_sort | prescribed burning effect on the richness diversity and forest structure of an endemic reforested i pinus canariensis i stand canary islands |
| topic | fire fuel-load management pine forest reforestation vegetation dynamics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/6/4/150 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joseramonarevalo prescribedburningeffectontherichnessdiversityandforeststructureofanendemicreforestedipinuscanariensisistandcanaryislands AT mariabernardos prescribedburningeffectontherichnessdiversityandforeststructureofanendemicreforestedipinuscanariensisistandcanaryislands AT cristinagonzalezmontelongo prescribedburningeffectontherichnessdiversityandforeststructureofanendemicreforestedipinuscanariensisistandcanaryislands AT federicogrillo prescribedburningeffectontherichnessdiversityandforeststructureofanendemicreforestedipinuscanariensisistandcanaryislands |