The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Azevedo, João
Data de Publicação: 2013
Outros Autores: Possacos, Anabela, Aguiar, Carlos, Amado, Anabela, Miguel, Luis, Dias, Rui, Loureiro, Carlos, Fernandes, Paulo M.
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/8301
Resumo: Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia) woodlands have been able to persist in fire-prone landscapes in northern Portugal where they seem to play a relevant role in community and landscape level patterns and processes, namely in the control of disturbance events and in the maintenance of biodiversity. In this research we tested the following hypotheses: (i) holm oak woodlands affect fire behavior, mainly by disrupting and delaying fire spread; (ii) disruption and delaying of fire spread is due to fire extinction at the edge of woodlands; and (iii) plant diversity is favored by frequent low-intensity fires as a result of the control of fire spread by holm oak woodland edges. We sampled herbaceous, shrub and tree structure and herbaceous plant composition across edges of holm oak woodlands with known recent contact with fire. Using BehavePlus we converted structural data into fuel models and simulated fire behavior for the locations sampled along the exterior–interior gradient of the woodlands. Our results indicate that holm oak woodlands play a relevant role in the control of fire spread and in the maintenance of plant diversity. We found differences in simulated maximum rate of fire spread (ROS) and fireline intensity (FLI) between outside and inside woodlands as well as a 100% probability of fire extinction when fuel moisture was >12% and wind speed at 10 m aboveground was <40 km h 1, supporting the self-extinction hypothesis. We found also that richness and abundance of herbaceous plants varied between the interior and exterior of the woodland, with higher values outside the woodland, and that plant composition along the interior–exterior gradient had distinct patterns. These variables and the pattern of plant distribution were also significantly affected by time since last fire event. We conclude that holm oak woodlands affect fire behavior by interrupting fire spread at the edge zone and that fire-created edges affect herbaceous plant species richness, abundance and distribution by maintaining habitat diversity, which increased plant diversity at patch and landscape levels. Based on our results and other evidence, we developed a conceptual model of the dynamics of fire, landscape structure, and plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes where holm oak patches persist.
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spelling The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapesEdgesFire behaviorPlant diversityQuercus rotundifoliaMediterranean regionPortugalHolm oak (Quercus rotundifolia) woodlands have been able to persist in fire-prone landscapes in northern Portugal where they seem to play a relevant role in community and landscape level patterns and processes, namely in the control of disturbance events and in the maintenance of biodiversity. In this research we tested the following hypotheses: (i) holm oak woodlands affect fire behavior, mainly by disrupting and delaying fire spread; (ii) disruption and delaying of fire spread is due to fire extinction at the edge of woodlands; and (iii) plant diversity is favored by frequent low-intensity fires as a result of the control of fire spread by holm oak woodland edges. We sampled herbaceous, shrub and tree structure and herbaceous plant composition across edges of holm oak woodlands with known recent contact with fire. Using BehavePlus we converted structural data into fuel models and simulated fire behavior for the locations sampled along the exterior–interior gradient of the woodlands. Our results indicate that holm oak woodlands play a relevant role in the control of fire spread and in the maintenance of plant diversity. We found differences in simulated maximum rate of fire spread (ROS) and fireline intensity (FLI) between outside and inside woodlands as well as a 100% probability of fire extinction when fuel moisture was >12% and wind speed at 10 m aboveground was <40 km h 1, supporting the self-extinction hypothesis. We found also that richness and abundance of herbaceous plants varied between the interior and exterior of the woodland, with higher values outside the woodland, and that plant composition along the interior–exterior gradient had distinct patterns. These variables and the pattern of plant distribution were also significantly affected by time since last fire event. We conclude that holm oak woodlands affect fire behavior by interrupting fire spread at the edge zone and that fire-created edges affect herbaceous plant species richness, abundance and distribution by maintaining habitat diversity, which increased plant diversity at patch and landscape levels. Based on our results and other evidence, we developed a conceptual model of the dynamics of fire, landscape structure, and plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes where holm oak patches persist.ElsevierBiblioteca Digital do IPBAzevedo, JoãoPossacos, AnabelaAguiar, CarlosAmado, AnabelaMiguel, LuisDias, RuiLoureiro, CarlosFernandes, Paulo M.2013-04-02T13:19:40Z20132013-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10198/8301engAzevedo, João; Possacos, Anabela; Aguiar, Carlos; Amado, Anabela; Miguel, Luis; Dias, Rui; Loureiro, Carlos; Fernandes, Paulo (2013). The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes. Forest Ecology and Management. ISSN 0378-1127. 297, p. 37–480378-112710.1016/j.foreco.2013.02.007info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-11-21T10:20:20Zoai:bibliotecadigital.ipb.pt:10198/8301Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T22:59:49.589825Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
title The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
spellingShingle The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
Azevedo, João
Edges
Fire behavior
Plant diversity
Quercus rotundifolia
Mediterranean region
Portugal
title_short The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
title_full The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
title_fullStr The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
title_full_unstemmed The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
title_sort The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes
author Azevedo, João
author_facet Azevedo, João
Possacos, Anabela
Aguiar, Carlos
Amado, Anabela
Miguel, Luis
Dias, Rui
Loureiro, Carlos
Fernandes, Paulo M.
author_role author
author2 Possacos, Anabela
Aguiar, Carlos
Amado, Anabela
Miguel, Luis
Dias, Rui
Loureiro, Carlos
Fernandes, Paulo M.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Biblioteca Digital do IPB
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Azevedo, João
Possacos, Anabela
Aguiar, Carlos
Amado, Anabela
Miguel, Luis
Dias, Rui
Loureiro, Carlos
Fernandes, Paulo M.
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Edges
Fire behavior
Plant diversity
Quercus rotundifolia
Mediterranean region
Portugal
topic Edges
Fire behavior
Plant diversity
Quercus rotundifolia
Mediterranean region
Portugal
description Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia) woodlands have been able to persist in fire-prone landscapes in northern Portugal where they seem to play a relevant role in community and landscape level patterns and processes, namely in the control of disturbance events and in the maintenance of biodiversity. In this research we tested the following hypotheses: (i) holm oak woodlands affect fire behavior, mainly by disrupting and delaying fire spread; (ii) disruption and delaying of fire spread is due to fire extinction at the edge of woodlands; and (iii) plant diversity is favored by frequent low-intensity fires as a result of the control of fire spread by holm oak woodland edges. We sampled herbaceous, shrub and tree structure and herbaceous plant composition across edges of holm oak woodlands with known recent contact with fire. Using BehavePlus we converted structural data into fuel models and simulated fire behavior for the locations sampled along the exterior–interior gradient of the woodlands. Our results indicate that holm oak woodlands play a relevant role in the control of fire spread and in the maintenance of plant diversity. We found differences in simulated maximum rate of fire spread (ROS) and fireline intensity (FLI) between outside and inside woodlands as well as a 100% probability of fire extinction when fuel moisture was >12% and wind speed at 10 m aboveground was <40 km h 1, supporting the self-extinction hypothesis. We found also that richness and abundance of herbaceous plants varied between the interior and exterior of the woodland, with higher values outside the woodland, and that plant composition along the interior–exterior gradient had distinct patterns. These variables and the pattern of plant distribution were also significantly affected by time since last fire event. We conclude that holm oak woodlands affect fire behavior by interrupting fire spread at the edge zone and that fire-created edges affect herbaceous plant species richness, abundance and distribution by maintaining habitat diversity, which increased plant diversity at patch and landscape levels. Based on our results and other evidence, we developed a conceptual model of the dynamics of fire, landscape structure, and plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes where holm oak patches persist.
publishDate 2013
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2013-04-02T13:19:40Z
2013
2013-01-01T00:00:00Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10198/8301
url http://hdl.handle.net/10198/8301
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Azevedo, João; Possacos, Anabela; Aguiar, Carlos; Amado, Anabela; Miguel, Luis; Dias, Rui; Loureiro, Carlos; Fernandes, Paulo (2013). The role of holm oak edges in the control of disturbance and conservation of plant diversity in fire-prone landscapes. Forest Ecology and Management. ISSN 0378-1127. 297, p. 37–48
0378-1127
10.1016/j.foreco.2013.02.007
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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