Prescribed fire effects on groundcover vegetation over time.

Abstract

General EcologyThe students and researchers at UMBS have a long history of performing succession-themed studies in the Station's experimental burn plots. This project focused on how post-fire succession has affected current plot groundcover diversity and composition. Four burn plots were sampled, as well as a control plot from the natural forest, which burned in 1911. Although hypothesized, based on the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, that the plots of intermediate age since fire disturbance would contain greatest biodiversity and composition, our results revealed that the youngest plots held that distinction. Highest biodiversity in the youngest plots quickly decreased in the intermediate plots to the level of diversity in the 1911 forest. This may be explainable based on the severity component of the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, rather than on the frequency component as hypothesized.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89430/1/Johns_Munro_Stier_2011.pd