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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Drought then wildfire reveals a compound disturbance in a resprouting forest
Ecological applications, Vol.33(2), Art. e2775
2023
PMID: 36344448
Appears in Open Access via Read & Publish Agreements
Abstract
The frequency and intensity of forest disturbances, such as drought and fire, are increasing globally, with an increased likelihood of multiple disturbance events occurring in short succession. Disturbances layered over one another may influence the likelihood or intensity of subsequent events (a linked disturbance) or impact response and recovery trajectories (a compound disturbance), with substantial implications for ecological spatiotemporal vulnerability. This study evaluates evidence for disturbance interactions of drought followed by wildfire in a resprouting eucalypt-dominated forest (the Northern Jarrah Forest) in southwestern Australia. Sites were stratified by drought (high, low), from previous modeling and ground validation, and fire severity (high, moderate, unburnt), via remote sensing using the relative difference normalized burn ratio (RdNBR). Evidence of a linked disturbance was assessed via fine fuel consumption and fire severity. Compound disturbance effects were quantified at stand scale (canopy height, quadratic mean diameter, stem density) and stem scale (mortality). There was no evidence of prior drought influencing fine fuel consumption or fire severity and, hence, no evidence of a linked disturbance. However, compound disturbance effects were evident; stands previously affected by drought experienced smaller shifts in canopy height, quadratic mean diameter, and stem density than stands without prior drought impact. At the stem scale, size and fire severity were the strongest determinants of stem survival. Proportional resprouting height was greater in high drought sites than in low drought sites (p < 0.01), meaning, structurally, the low drought stands decreased in height more than the high drought stands. Thus, a legacy of the drought was evident after the wildfire. Although these resprouting eucalypt forests have been regarded as particularly resilient, this study illustrates how multiple disturbances can overwhelm the larger tree component and promote an abundance of smaller stems. We suggest that this is early evidence of a structural destabilization of these forests under a more fire-prone, hotter, and drier future climate.
Details
- Title
- Drought then wildfire reveals a compound disturbance in a resprouting forest
- Authors/Creators
- Lewis Walden - Murdoch UniversityJoseph B Fontaine - Murdoch UniversityKatinka X Ruthrof - Murdoch University, Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and SustainabilityGeorge Matusick - Murdoch University, Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and SustainabilityRichard J Harper - Murdoch University, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation
- Publication Details
- Ecological applications, Vol.33(2), Art. e2775
- Publisher
- Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.
- Identifiers
- 991005573469207891
- Copyright
- © 2022 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.40 Forestry
- 3.40.55 Forest Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Environmental Sciences
- ESI research areas
- Environment/Ecology