Fire-type and forestry management effects on the early postfire vegetation dynamics of a Pinus pinaster woodland

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the effects of type of fire, prefire-, and postfire-management on the postfire vegetation dynamics of a Pinus pinaster woodland in Central Spain, burned at 15 yr of age. The effects of type of fire (crown-, or surface-fire), prefire-management (thinning out of trees and clearing of brush or no such actions) and postfire-management (removal of burned trees one year after the fire or no such action) on the postfire vegetation were studied during the first three years after the fire. Herbaceous plant abundance, species richness, and diversity, as well as abundance, growth and density of the dominant shrub species (Cistus ladanifer) were measured during the first three years after the fire. Our results show that the effects of the type of fire on the vegetation were minimal. Prefire-management effects were significant on the abundance of herbaceous species, mainly during the second and third year after fire, in particular for the Leguminosae species. Prefire managed areas were more diverse in species, and produced higher plant biomass than unmanaged areas. Postfire-management effects on the shrubs and herbs were minimal, except for the Leguminosae, which increased their cover where the trees had been removed. Plant dynamics were marked by the interaction between prefire-management and fire-type through the dynamics of the shrub cover. On most occasions, plots that resulted in lower cover of C. ladanifer had greater abundance of herbaceous plants and, in particular, of the Leguminosae. In general, our results show that irrespective of fire-type, prefire-, or postfire-management all areas tended to be very similar in their vegetation three years after the fire.