Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://cicese.repositorioinstitucional.mx/jspui/handle/1007/4031
Contrasting spatial patterns in active-fire and fire-suppressed mediterranean climate old-growth mixed conifer forests
Danny L. Fry 
Scott Stephens
Brandon Collins
Malcolm North
ERNESTO FRANCO VIZCAINO
Samantha J. Gill
Acceso Abierto
Atribución
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088985
article, climate, controlled study, ecosystem fire history, forest structure, geographic distribution, geographic mapping, land use, mathematical computing, mathematical model, Mexico, spatial analysis, taiga, United States, comparative study, conife
In Mediterranean environments in western North America, historic fire regimes in frequent-fire conifer forests are highly variable both temporally and spatially. This complexity influenced forest structure and spatial patterns, but some of this diversity has been lost due to anthropogenic disruption of ecosystem processes, including fire. Information from reference forest sites can help management efforts to restore forests conditions that may be more resilient to future changes in disturbance regimes and climate. In this study, we characterize tree spatial patterns using four-ha stem maps from four old-growth, Jeffrey pine-mixed conifer forests, two with active-fire regimes in northwestern Mexico and two that experienced fire exclusion in the southern Sierra Nevada. Most of the trees were in patches, averaging six to 11 trees per patch at 0.007 to 0.014 ha-1, and occupied 27-46% of the study areas. Average canopy gap sizes (0.04 ha) covering 11-20% of the area were not significantly different among sites. The putative main effects of fire exclusion were higher densities of single trees in smaller size classes, larger proportion of trees (≥56%) in large patches (≥10 trees), and decreases in spatial complexity. While a homogenization of forest structure has been a typical result from fire exclusion, some similarities in patch, single tree, and gap attributes were maintained at these sites. These within-stand descriptions provide spatially relevant benchmarks from which to manage for structural heterogeneity in frequent-fire forest types.
Shibu Jose, University of Missouri, United States of America
2014
Artículo
PLoS ONE, Vol.9, No.2, Pags.1-15
Inglés
Fry D.L., Stephens S.L., Collins B.M., North M.P., Franco-Vizcaíno E., Gill S.J.2014.Contrasting Spatial Patterns in Active-Fire and Fire-Suppressed Mediterranean Climate Old-Growth Mixed Conifer Forests. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88985. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088985
CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA
Versión publicada
publishedVersion - Versión publicada
Appears in Collections:Artículos - Biología de la Conservación

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