Abstract
Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey) is an important and long-lived tree species found at high elevations in the interior southwest of the United States, but little is known about its regeneration requirements and response to disturbance. We conducted extensive surveys of seedling regeneration and environmental attributes of regeneration sites in undisturbed forest dominated by this species in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada. Additional surveys tallied new seedling densities and site attributes 4 years after a wildfire in the same area. Seedlings, saplings, and juvenile trees were less abundant than adult trees in the unburned forest, and soils had lower bulk density and greater depth, moisture, and soil organic matter under adult trees than in open areas. Seedling distributions in both unburned and burned forest showed a negative relationship to a heat load index governed by aspect. The density of new seedlings after the fire was negatively related to distance from unburned forest edges. Seedlings were found in clusters and were associated with adult trees (live or dead) in both unburned and burned stands. Seedling emergence from animal-dispersed caches was more frequent in burned habitats than in unburned habitats. These natural regeneration dynamics provide potential guidance for restoration efforts in this ecosystem.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.