Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona
Pinyon-juniper woodlands are a dominant ecosystem in the American Southwest that have been increasing in density over the last century, generating concerns about the effects on wildlife habitat, livestock forage, and wildfire risk. We tested 16 treatment combinations designed to restore stands to hi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Society for the Improvement of Science (SACSIS)
2011-06-01
|
| Series: | All Results Journals: Biol |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://arjournals.com/ojs/index.php?journal=Biol&page=article&op=view&path[]=46&path[]=58 |
| _version_ | 1818215640670928896 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria R. Irwin Alex J. Finkral John D. Bailey |
| author_facet | Maria R. Irwin Alex J. Finkral John D. Bailey |
| author_sort | Maria R. Irwin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pinyon-juniper woodlands are a dominant ecosystem in the American Southwest that have been increasing in density over the last century, generating concerns about the effects on wildlife habitat, livestock forage, and wildfire risk. We tested 16 treatment combinations designed to restore stands to historic conditions by examining the impact on understory plant richness and abundance. We thinned three sites comprised of different parent soil materials: limestone, sandstone, and basalt. Each site had one of four slash arrangements: piled, broadcast, clustered, or no thinning. Each of these arrangements received a different burning/seeding treatment: prescribed fire, seeding, prescribed fire and seeding, or none. This study corresponded with the driest period in the last 55 years, and plant species richness decreased by an average of 40% from the previous year in the control plots. Richness was significantly different due to slash arrangement at the basalt site only. Burning or seeding did not affect richness at any of the sites. Plant species abundance was generally low and not influenced by treatment or site. This study demonstrates that extensive ecosystem manipulation in the pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona did not affect understory richness or abundance the first year after treatment during a drought. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:39:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b2b17c36879f432fa65d6ddb3186a1e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2172-4784 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T06:39:18Z |
| publishDate | 2011-06-01 |
| publisher | Society for the Improvement of Science (SACSIS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | All Results Journals: Biol |
| spelling | doaj.art-b2b17c36879f432fa65d6ddb3186a1e92022-12-22T00:34:24ZengSociety for the Improvement of Science (SACSIS)All Results Journals: Biol2172-47842011-06-0121815Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern ArizonaMaria R. Irwin0Alex J. Finkral1John D. Bailey2Forest Ecologist, Ecosphere Environmental Services, Durango, CO 81301, USASchool of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA;Department of Forest Resources, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.Pinyon-juniper woodlands are a dominant ecosystem in the American Southwest that have been increasing in density over the last century, generating concerns about the effects on wildlife habitat, livestock forage, and wildfire risk. We tested 16 treatment combinations designed to restore stands to historic conditions by examining the impact on understory plant richness and abundance. We thinned three sites comprised of different parent soil materials: limestone, sandstone, and basalt. Each site had one of four slash arrangements: piled, broadcast, clustered, or no thinning. Each of these arrangements received a different burning/seeding treatment: prescribed fire, seeding, prescribed fire and seeding, or none. This study corresponded with the driest period in the last 55 years, and plant species richness decreased by an average of 40% from the previous year in the control plots. Richness was significantly different due to slash arrangement at the basalt site only. Burning or seeding did not affect richness at any of the sites. Plant species abundance was generally low and not influenced by treatment or site. This study demonstrates that extensive ecosystem manipulation in the pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona did not affect understory richness or abundance the first year after treatment during a drought.http://arjournals.com/ojs/index.php?journal=Biol&page=article&op=view&path[]=46&path[]=58piñonrestorationprescribed fireunderstory responsesilviculture |
| spellingShingle | Maria R. Irwin Alex J. Finkral John D. Bailey Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona All Results Journals: Biol piñon restoration prescribed fire understory response silviculture |
| title | Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona |
| title_full | Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona |
| title_fullStr | Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona |
| title_short | Effects of thinning, burning, seeding, and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon-juniper woodlands of northern Arizona |
| title_sort | effects of thinning burning seeding and slash arrangements on understory communities in pinyon juniper woodlands of northern arizona |
| topic | piñon restoration prescribed fire understory response silviculture |
| url | http://arjournals.com/ojs/index.php?journal=Biol&page=article&op=view&path[]=46&path[]=58 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariarirwin effectsofthinningburningseedingandslasharrangementsonunderstorycommunitiesinpinyonjuniperwoodlandsofnorthernarizona AT alexjfinkral effectsofthinningburningseedingandslasharrangementsonunderstorycommunitiesinpinyonjuniperwoodlandsofnorthernarizona AT johndbailey effectsofthinningburningseedingandslasharrangementsonunderstorycommunitiesinpinyonjuniperwoodlandsofnorthernarizona |