Relationships between fire severity and recruitment in arid grassland dominated by the obligate-seeding soft spinifex (Triodia pungens)
Boyd R. Wright A B C F and Roderick J. Fensham D E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Northern Territory Herbarium, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
B School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
C Botany, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.
D School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
E Queensland Herbarium, Mount Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Brisbane, Qld 4066, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: desertecol@desertecol.com
International Journal of Wildland Fire 25(12) 1264-1272 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF16052
Submitted: 24 March 2016 Accepted: 9 September 2016 Published: 31 October 2016
Abstract
Fire intensity is recognised as an important driver of regeneration dynamics in forest and shrubland vegetation types, but its effects on recruitment processes in arid grasslands are poorly understood. Here, we used fire severity as a surrogate measure of fire intensity, and compared post-fire seedling recruitment from arid Triodia pungens (soft spinifex) plots burnt by low-severity experimental fires against those burnt by a high-severity wildfire. To explain T. pungens recruitment patterns, we also: (1) conducted a longitudinal depth distribution study of soil seedbank densities, and (2) carried out a lethal-temperature experiment on T. pungens seeds. High-severity burning was associated with reduced T. pungens recruitment compared with low-severity fire, and this relationship was attributed to the low lethal temperature thresholds of seeds and the adverse impacts of elevated soil temperatures during high-severity fire on the shallow soil seedbank. Among other species in the community, there were varied recruitment responses to fire severity. Overall, our results indicate that a strong link exists between fire severity and recruitment in arid spinifex grassland, though the association is variable among species, and dependent on the seedbank attributes, germination biologies and lethal-temperature thresholds of seeds of individual species.
Additional keywords: arid zone, Bayesian models, fire ecology, germination cues, masting, seed predation, seedbanks.
References
Allan GE, Southgate R (2002) Fire regimes in the spinifex grasslands of Australia. In ‘Flammable Australia: fire regimes and biodiversity of a continent’. (Eds RA Bradstock, JE Williams, AM Gill) pp. 145–176. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)Auld T (1995) Soil seedbank patterns from 4 trees and shrubs from arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 29, 33–45.
| Soil seedbank patterns from 4 trees and shrubs from arid Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bastin G, Allan GE (2012) After the smoke has cleared: 2011 fire in central Australia. Range Management Newsletter 12/2, pp. 3–6. Available at http://www.austrangesoc.com.au/pages/range-management-newsletter-122.html [Verified 27 September 2016]
Bolton BL, Latz PK (1978) The western hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes hirsutus (Gould) (Macropidae), in the Tanami Desert. Australian Wildlife Research 5, 285–293.
| The western hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes hirsutus (Gould) (Macropidae), in the Tanami Desert.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bond WJ, van Wilgen BW (1996) ‘Fire and plants.’ (Chapman and Hall: London)
Bradstock RA, Auld TD, Ellis ME, Cohn JS (1992) Soil tempratures during bushfires in semi-arid, mallee shrublands. Australian Journal of Ecology 17, 433–440.
| Soil tempratures during bushfires in semi-arid, mallee shrublands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Buckley AJ (1993) Fuel reducing regrowth forests with a wiregrass fuel type: fire behaviour guide and prescriptions. Department of Conservation and Environment, Research Report No. 40. (Melbourne)
Burbidge NT (1943) Ecological succession observed during regeneration of Triodia pungens R. Br. after burning. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 28, 149–156.
Bureau of Meteorology (2016) Deep Well station monthly rainfall records: 1966–2016. Available at http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/av?p_nccObsCode=139&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_c=-49076853&p_stn_num=015645 [Verified 5 January 2016]
Byram GM (1959) Combustion of forest fuels. In ‘Forest fire: control and use’. (Ed KP Davis) pp. 61–89. (Macgraw-Hill: New York)
Céspedes B, Luna B, Perez B, Urbieta IR, Moreno JM (2014) Burning season effects on the short-term post-fire vegetation dynamics of a Mediterranean heathland. Applied Vegetation Science 17, 86–96.
| Burning season effects on the short-term post-fire vegetation dynamics of a Mediterranean heathland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cram DS, Baker TT, Boren J (2006) Wildland fire effects in siviculturally treated vs. untreated stands of New Mexico and Arizona. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Research Paper RMRS-RP-55. (Fort Collins, CO)
Dahlquist RM, Prather TS, Stapleton JJ (2007) Time and temperature requirements for weed seed thermal death. Weed Science 55, 619–625.
| Time and temperature requirements for weed seed thermal death.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhtlKktrrN&md5=f1f32850d0ed8263f0a1ad078edc41abCAS |
Dzwonko Z, Loster S, Gawronski S (2015) Impact of fire severity on soil properties and the development of tree and shrub species in a Scots pine moist forest site in southern Poland. Forest Ecology and Management 342, 56–63.
| Impact of fire severity on soil properties and the development of tree and shrub species in a Scots pine moist forest site in southern Poland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Egley GH (1990) High-temperature effects on germination and survival of weed seeds in soil. Weed Science 38, 429–435.
Griffin GF, Price NF, Portlock HF (1983) Wildfire in the central Australian rangelands, 1970–1980. Journal of Environmental Management 17, 311–323.
Higgins AM, Waring KM, Thode AE (2015) The effects of burn entry and burn severity on ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests in Grand Canyon National Park. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24, 495–506.
| The effects of burn entry and burn severity on ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests in Grand Canyon National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hodgkinson KC, Griffin GF (1982) Adaptation of shrub species to fires in the arid zone. In ‘Evolution of the flora and fauna of arid Australia’. (Eds WR Baker, PJM Greenslade) pp. 145–152. (Peacock Publications: Adelaide)
Jacobs SWL (1973) Ecological studies on the genera Triodia R. Br. and Plectrachne Henr. in Australia. Ph.D. thesis, University of Sydney, NSW.
Jacobs SWL (1984) Spinifex. In ‘Arid Australia’. (Eds HG Cogger, EE Cameron) pp. 131–142. (Surrey Beatty & Sons Pty. Ltd: Sydney)
Keeley JE (1977) Seed production, seed populations in soil, and seedling production after fire for two congeneric pairs of sprouting and non-sprouting chaparral shrubs. Ecology 58, 820–829.
| Seed production, seed populations in soil, and seedling production after fire for two congeneric pairs of sprouting and non-sprouting chaparral shrubs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keeley JE (2009) Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity: a brief review and suggested usage. International Journal of Wildland Fire 18, 116–126.
| Fire intensity, fire severity and burn severity: a brief review and suggested usage.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keeley JE, Bond WJ, Bradstock RA, Pausas JG, Rundel PW (2012) ‘Fire in Mediterranean ecosystems: ecology, evolution and management.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)
Latz PK (2007) The flaming desert: arid Australia – a fire-shaped landscape. (NT Print Management: Alice Springs, NT)
Lazarides M, Weiller CM, McCusker A (2005) Triodia. In ‘Flora of Australia 44B’. (Ed. K. Mallett) pp. 203–255. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Maconochie JR (1971) Fire – its significance in the development and management of vegetation of the arid zone of central Australia. In ‘Proceedings of the tropical and arid fire symposium’, 8–11 June 1971, Darwin, NT. Forestry section, Department of the Northern Territory, pp. 54–57.
Morton SR, Stafford Smith DM, Dickman CR, Dunkerly DL, Friedel MH, McAllister RRJ, Reid JRW, Roshier DA, Smith MA, Walsh FJ, Wardle GM, Watson IW, Westoby M (2011) A fresh framework for the ecology of arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 75, 313–329.
| A fresh framework for the ecology of arid Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nano CEM, Clarke PJ (2010) Woody-grass ratios in a grassy arid system are limited by multi-causal interactions of abiotic constraint, competition and fire. Oecologia 162, 719–732.
| Woody-grass ratios in a grassy arid system are limited by multi-causal interactions of abiotic constraint, competition and fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Plummer M (2003) JAGS: a program for analysis of Bayesian graphical models using Gibbs sampling. In ‘Proceedings of the 3rd international workshop on distributed statistical computing (DSC 2003)’, 20–22 March, Vienna, Austria. Available at https://www.r-project.org/conferences/DSC-2003/Drafts/Plummer.pdf [Verified 13 September 2016]
Predavec M (1994) Population dynamics and environmental changes during natural irruptions of Australian desert rodents. Wildlife Research 21, 569–582.
| Population dynamics and environmental changes during natural irruptions of Australian desert rodents.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Core Team (2014) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria) Available at http://www.R-project.org/ [Verified 23 September 2016]
Rogers GF, Vint MK (1987) Winter precipitation and fire in the Sonoran desert. Journal of Arid Environments 13, 47–52.
Rothermel RC (1972) A mathematical model for predicting fire spread in wildland fuels. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Research Paper INT-115. (Ogden, UT)
Suijdendorp H (1981) Responses of the hummock grasslands of north western Australia to fire. In ‘Fire and the Australian biota’. (Eds AM Gill, RH Groves, IR Noble), pp. 417–424. (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra, ACT)
Wan HY, Rhodes AC, St Clair SB (2014) Fire severity alters plant regeneration patterns and defense against herbivores in mixed aspen forests. Oikos 123, 1479–1488.
| Fire severity alters plant regeneration patterns and defense against herbivores in mixed aspen forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2cXhvFGmtbrE&md5=23c2a14f3c9c97c4e4b5a9637b6cf6c5CAS |
Westoby M, Rice B, Griffin GF, Friedel MH (1988) The soil seedbank of Triodia basedowii in relation to time since fire. Australian Journal of Ecology 13, 161–169.
| The soil seedbank of Triodia basedowii in relation to time since fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams PR, Congdon RA, Grice AC, Clarke PJ (2003) Fire-related cues break dormancy of six legumes of tropical eucalypt savannas in north-eastern Australia. Austral Ecology 28, 507–514.
| Fire-related cues break dormancy of six legumes of tropical eucalypt savannas in north-eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams PR, Collins EM, Blackman M, Blackman C, Mcleod J, Colless L, Masters K, Coates S, Sturgess A, Martin G (2015) The influence of ignition technique on fire behaviour in spinifex open woodland in semiarid northern Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24, 607–612.
| The influence of ignition technique on fire behaviour in spinifex open woodland in semiarid northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright BR, Clarke PJ (2007a) Fire regime (recency, interval and season) changes the composition of spinifex (Triodia spp.)-dominated desert dunes. Australian Journal of Botany 55, 709–724.
| Fire regime (recency, interval and season) changes the composition of spinifex (Triodia spp.)-dominated desert dunes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright BR, Clarke PJ (2007b) Resprouting responses of Acacia shrubs in the Western Desert of Australia – fire severity, interval and season influence survival. International Journal of Wildland Fire 16, 317–323.
| Resprouting responses of Acacia shrubs in the Western Desert of Australia – fire severity, interval and season influence survival.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright BR, Clarke PJ (2008) Relationships between soil temperatures and properties of fire in feathertop spinifex (Triodia schinzii (Henrard) Lazarides) sandridge desert in central Australia. The Rangeland Journal 30, 317–325.
| Relationships between soil temperatures and properties of fire in feathertop spinifex (Triodia schinzii (Henrard) Lazarides) sandridge desert in central Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright BR, Zuur AF, Chan G (2014) Proximate and possible adaptive functions of mast seeding and barren flowers shows in spinifex grasses (Triodia spp.) in arid regions of Australia. The Rangeland Journal 36, 297–308.
| Proximate and possible adaptive functions of mast seeding and barren flowers shows in spinifex grasses (Triodia spp.) in arid regions of Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wright BR, Latz PK, Zuur AF (2015) Fire severity mediates seedling recruitment patterns in slender mulga (Acacia aptaneura), a fire-sensitive Australian desert shrub with heat-stimulated germination. Plant Ecology 216, 1–13.
Yu-Sung S, Masanao Y (2012) R2jags: a package for running jags from R. R package version 0.03–08. Available at http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=R2jags [Verified 23 September 2016]
Zuur AF, Ieno EN (2016) A protocol for conducting and presenting results of regression-type analyses. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 7, 636–645.
| A protocol for conducting and presenting results of regression-type analyses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zuur AF, Ieno EN, Elphick CS (2010) A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 1, 3–14.
| A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
