Ulex Parviflorus Research Articles

Development and characterization of microsatellite loci in Ulex parviflorus Pourr. And its cross-transferability to other Genisteae.

The genus Ulex is composed by 15 species distributed in Europe and Africa, but the majority of them are restricted to the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa. Some of these species are common elements at the landscape level, and others contribute to global biodiversity as narrow endemics. Assayed nuclear and plastid Sanger-sequenced regions do not provide enough resolution to perform evolutionary studies on the genus, neither at the intraspecific population level nor at the interspecific phylogenetic level. Thus, we have developed and characterized a set of nuclear microsatellite loci in U. parviflorus to provide new highly polymorphic molecular markers for the genus Ulex. Genomic DNA enriched in microsatellite motifs using streptavidin-coated M-280 magnetic beads attached to 5'-biotinylated oligonucleotides was sequenced in a 454GS Junior System. After primer design, fluorescent-dyed amplicons were analyzed through capillary sequencing (ABI3730XL). Here we present twelve new high polimorphic SSRs markers developed in U. parviflorus specimens and tested in 120 individuals. The 12 SSR loci amplified a total of 152 alleles, and detected expected heterozygosities that ranged from 0.674 to 0.725 in the genotyped populations. Successful cross-species transferability of the 12 SSR loci to the rest of species included in the genus Ulex and three other representative Genisteae was achieved. The 12 novel proposed SSRs loci will contribute to perform evolutionary studies and genetic research on the genus Ulex and in other Genisteae.

Improving Sustainable Forest Management of Pinus halepensis Mill. Mid-Aged Stands in a Context of Rural Abandonment, Climate Change, and Wildfires

Pinus halepensis Mill. covers most lowland forests on limestone soils and semiarid to sub-humid climates in the Mediterranean basin. It is considered a key species in climate change due to its pioneer nature, versatility, and flexibility. Moreover, its industrial potential is an additional incentive to promote forest management to increase its quality and productivity while contributing to other environmental and social objectives. However, there is a considerable gap in science-based knowledge on the effects of different silvicultural treatments on Pinus halepensis stands. Thus, this research compares the impact of four different treatments (light thinnings, strong thinnings, transformation to uneven-aged, and diameter-driven uneven-aged) on even-aged mid-rotation stands of Pinus halepensis in terms of growth, vulnerability, and resilience to extreme weather events, regeneration, and shrub cover. The effects of four treatments are evaluated in 12 research plots of 0.49 ha each (three per treatment) and contrasted with the other three non-managed control plots. Light and strong thinning treatments show better growth—at least in the short term—and stock results than those reported in the reference yield tables. Transformation to uneven-aged treatment shows advantages in maintaining periodic growth, regeneration, and stability. In addition, it offers an alternative for steep slope stands, smallholders, and extended narrow-aged estates to speed up the desirable balanced age class distribution. Diameter-driven uneven-aged treatment implies greater vulnerability to extreme weather events during the first years and considerable stock reduction while offering faster and taller tree regeneration. A dual regeneration pattern of Ulex parviflorus Pourr is observed in addition to post-fire regeneration in the case of sudden and well-distributed tree cover reduction around 40% of the canopy due to the transformation into the uneven-aged stand. An observation period longer than a decade of the research plots will confirm these first conclusions.

The Role of Gorse (Ulex parviflorus Pourr. Scrubs) in a Mediterranean Shrubland Undergoing Climate Change: Approach by Hyperspectral Measurements

The goal of this study was to observe the neighbor effect of Gorse, a plant of the Fabaceae family, on three typical species of Mediterranean shrubland: kermes oak, white Cistus and rosemary. For this purpose, a hyperspectral analysis and the application of vegetation indices (VIs) were carried out. We provide the spectral signature of Gorse, which differs mainly from that of its companion species in the band between 700 and 1350 nm. This supposed Gorse effect was tested in natural conditions and in conditions of forced drought to simulate the effects of the climate change predicted for the Mediterranean Basin. Field spectrometry demonstrated the existence of such interactions between the four species. In control stands, the presence of Gorse significantly modifies the spectral responses of kermes, white Cistus and rosemary, mainly in the near-infrared region (700-1350 nm). Both tri- and tetra-specific plant assemblages also exhibited spectral changes, suggesting an indirect effect of Gorse. Under drought conditions, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test led us to identify the features involved in plants' coexistence with Gorse. The Cistus albidus reflectance spectrum was clearly increased in the presence of Gorse in rain-exclusion conditions. The application of several VIs allowed us to extract new information on the variation of spectral signatures. Unexpectedly, nitrogen supply by Gorse was not shown, except for Cistus, as shown by the VI NDVI (N) analysis. However, this study proved that Gorse can modify the behavior of its companion species in controls, but also in drought conditions, by increasing their photosynthesis activity (NIRvP) and water content (ratio R975/R900). Gorse therefore appears as a key species in the ecosystem of the Mediterranean shrubland, but its high vulnerability to drought leaves a vacant ecological niche in plant communities. While the spectral reflectance increases linearly with the specific richness in the lack of any disturbance, by contrast, climate aridification imposes a double reciprocal profile. This clearly means that multispecific plant communities cope better with climate change. Nevertheless, knowledge of the underlying mechanisms requires further structural, chemical, and biochemical investigation.

The role of plant species on runoff and soil erosion in a Mediterranean shrubland

Shrubland is a Mediterranean biome characterized by densely growing evergreen shrubs adapted to fire events. To date, scientific research has focused on the impact of vegetation on soil erosion mainly through the control that plant biomass or plant cover exerts on sediment delivery and runoff discharge, being the individual plant species influence on hydrological and erosional processes not achieved in detail. The objective of this research is to determine: i) runoff and soil losses in a shrubland-covered rangeland at Sierra de Enguera, Spain; and ii) how four plant species affect soil and water losses. We measured soil cover, soil properties, runoff discharge and sediment yield under natural rainfall for five years (2010-2014) in a typical shrubland burnt in 1999. Four plant species were selected with 4 plots each: Ulex parviflorus Pourr., Pistacia lentiscus L., Quercus coccifera L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. Despite that the soil properties and plant cover did not exhibit statistically significant differences among plant species, the runoff discharge was lower on Q. coccifera (4.87%, SE 0.24) and P. lentiscus (6.24%, SE 0.51) than on U. parviflorus (13.41%, SE 0.58) and R. officinalis (13.84%, SE 1.23). Sediment concentrations were, respectively, 3.91, 4.33, 4.31 and 4.88 g l-1, and the differences between R. officinalis and the other species were statistically significant. The runoff discharge determined differences in soil erosion rates among the plant species with lower rates on P. lentiscus (1.36 Mg ha-1 y-1) and Q. coccifera (1.53 Mg ha-1 y-1), than on U. parviflorus (3.17 Mg ha-1 y-1) and R. officinalis (3.85 Mg ha-1 y-1). This long term in situ study indicated that Q. coccifera and P. lentiscus are more efficient in controlling runoff discharge and soil losses than U. parviflorus and R. officinalis one decade after a fire. We discuss these results in light of the recent findings by the scientific community of the role of the canopy cover (rainfall interception), soil macropore and root system, and the water repellency that control the hydrological response of the soil (e.g. runoff generation, infiltration). The information supplied by 5 years of research is relevant for restoration and rehabilitation programs and advise that Q. coccifera and P. lentiscus are the most efficient plant species to control soil and water losses within the Mediterranean shrubland. This is an applied science approach for a better management of rangelands.

Reproductive system and interaction with fauna in a Mediterranean Pyrophite shrub

ABSTRACT The ULEX model, in its present state, involves the study of the biomass and the population of the shrub Ulex parviflorus Pourret, but while being a dynamic model, it is static in the sense that it does not imply the appearance of new specimens of this plant. As a complement to the ULEX model in its two dynamic and spatial aspects, and with the idea of extending the model, the authors have introduced from a biological and statistical point of view four characteristics of this species, flowering, pollination, fructification, taking special interest in the role played by the pollinators (bees) and dispersion of seeds.

Soil microbial activity in a Mediterranean garrigue responds more to changing shrub community than to reduced rainfall

The functioning of soil microbial communities is co-determined by plant community composition and environmental factors. Decreased precipitation predicted in the Mediterranean area will affect both determinants, yet their interplay on soil microbial functioning is poorly understood. Here we assessed the interaction of plant community diversity and reduced precipitation on microbial metabolic activity and diversity in the topsoil of a Mediterranean shrubland in Southern France. With a large field experiment using 92 plots that differed in the diversity of the four dominant shrub species (Quercus coccifera, Cistus albidus, Ulex parviflorus, and Rosmarinus officinalis) we manipulated the average precipitation (a mean reduction of 12%) over three years and analyzed the community level physiological profile (MicroResp™) after 7 and 31 months of partial rain exclusion. Partial rain exclusion had only subtle effects on soil microbial parameters. Soil microbial global metabolic activity and diversity increased with total shrub cover but tended to decrease with shrub diversity under control conditions, relationships that were absent with partial rain exclusion. We showed strong shrub composition control over the soil microbial parameters, with a particularly strong effect of Q. coccifera. Our results suggest that climate change may have greater impact on soil microbial functioning via shifts in plant community composition rather than through direct effects of reduced precipitation, yet this may depend on how precipitation will change.

Spatial model of a pyrophite shrub in Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems

The main objective of this work is to study the existence of a possible dependence between different individuals of the same species of Mediterranean shrubs, in particular Ulex parviflorus Pourret, located on an area of 100 m2 in the Desert of Las Palmas (Benicassim, Castellón, Spain). The possible correlation between them is limited to the temporal and spatial dependence, that is to say, to identify if the individuals have statistically significant growth curves, and in the case of being, to see if there is a correlation of the individuals located with proximity in the space. The characteristics (variables) studied are the height and diameter of the Ulex parviflorus, and one data per week is available for a period of two years. At the same time, the coordinates (x, y) within the study region for each individual of the species studied are also available. The conclusion is that the spatial pattern of the Ulex parviflorus is not random but is governed by some biological mechanism that provides a structure of inhibition at small distances combining a certain aggregation structure at distances between 3 and 4 m.

Behavior of pyrophite shrubs in mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems (i): Population and reproductive model

The mathematical submodel ULEX is used to study the dynamic behavior of the green, floral and woody biomass of the main pyrophite shrub species, the gorse (Ulex parviflorus Pourret), and its relationship with other shrub species, typical of a Mediterranean ecosystem. The focus are the ecological conditions of post-fire stage growth, and its efficacy as a protective cover against erosion processes in the short, medium and long term, both in normal conditions and at the limits of desertification conditions. The model sets a target to observe the behavior and to anticipate and consequently intervene with adequate protection, restoration and management measures.

Changes in soil microbial substrate utilization in response to altered litter diversity and precipitation in a Mediterranean shrubland

This study aimed at quantifying the consequences of reduced precipitation and plant diversity on soil microbial community functioning in a Mediterranean shrubland of southern France. Across a natural gradient of shrub species diversity, we established a total of 92 plots (4 x 4 m) with and without a moderate rain exclusion treatment of about 12 % of total precipitation. Shrub diversity included all possible combinations of the four dominant species (Cistus albidus, Quercus coccifera, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Ulex parviflorus). Respective leaf litter mixtures of these species combinations were exposed in all plots over 2 years. We quantified how litter species richness and the reduction in precipitation affected the soil microbial substrate utilization (measured by CO2 evolution using the MicroResp method) on soil samples collected underneath each individual litter mixture after 1 and 2 years of decomposition. Moderate precipitation reduction had a minor impact, but litter species richness and the dissimilarity in phenolic concentrations (estimated using Rao's quadratic entropy) showed a positive effect on the diversity of substrates metabolized by the microbial communities. Moreover, litter species richness increased soil microbial activity by increasing the catabolic diversity of the soil microbial community. These effects were mostly driven by the presence of Quercus and Ulex leaf litter, which at the same time reduced microbial metabolic dominance, while the presence of Rosmarinus had opposite effects. Our data suggest that plant species loss can have stronger effects on the functioning of soil microbial communities than moderate drought, with potentially important feedbacks on biogeochemical cycling in Mediterranean shrubland ecosystems.

Fires can benefit plants by disrupting antagonistic interactions.

Fire has a key role in the ecology and evolution of many ecosystems, yet its effects on plant-insect interactions are poorly understood. Because interacting species are likely to respond to fire differently, disruptions of the interactions are expected. We hypothesized that plants that regenerate after fire can benefit through the disruption of their antagonistic interactions. We expected stronger effects on interactions with specialist predators than with generalists. We studied two interactions between two Mediterranean plants (Ulex parviflorus, Asphodelus ramosus) and their specialist seed predators after large wildfires. In A. ramosus we also studied the generalist herbivores. We sampled the interactions in burned and adjacent unburned areas during 2years by estimating seed predation, number of herbivores and fruit set. To assess the effect of the distance to unburned vegetation we sampled plots at two distance classes from the fire perimeter. Even 3years after the fires, Ulex plants experienced lower seed damage by specialists in burned sites. The presence of herbivores on Asphodelus decreased in burned locations, and the variability in their presence was significantly related to fruit set. Generalist herbivores were unaffected. We show that plants can benefit from fire through the disruption of their antagonistic interactions with specialist seed predators for at least a few years. In environments with a long fire history, this effect might be one additional mechanism underlying the success of fire-adapted plants.

Genetic component of flammability variation in a Mediterranean shrub

Recurrent fires impose a strong selection pressure in many ecosystems worldwide. In such ecosystems, plant flammability is of paramount importance because it enhances population persistence, particularly in non-resprouting species. Indeed, there is evidence of phenotypic divergence of flammability under different fire regimes. Our general hypothesis is that flammability-enhancing traits are adaptive; here, we test whether they have a genetic component. To test this hypothesis, we used the postfire obligate seeder Ulex parviflorus from sites historically exposed to different fire recurrence. We associated molecular variation in potentially adaptive loci detected with a genomic scan (using AFLP markers) with individual phenotypic variability in flammability across fire regimes. We found that at least 42% of the phenotypic variation in flammability was explained by the genetic divergence in a subset of AFLP loci. In spite of generalized gene flow, the genetic variability was structured by differences in fire recurrence. Our results provide the first field evidence supporting that traits enhancing plant flammability have a genetic component and thus can be responding to natural selection driven by fire. These results highlight the importance of flammability as an adaptive trait in fire-prone ecosystems.

Macroarthropod-microorganism interactions during the decomposition of Mediterranean shrub litter at different moisture levels

Saprophagous macroarthropods reach high population densities in many Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems of southern Europe but their impact on decomposition processes remains unclear. We studied the direct and indirect effects of the millipede Ommatoiulus sabulosus on the decomposition of litter from four shrub species (Cistus albidus, Quercus coccifera, Rosmarinus officinalis and Ulex parviflorus) in a 1-month laboratory experiment. Litter mass loss, substrate-induced respiration (SIR) in litter and faecal pellets, and microbial community structure and biomass in litter (using PLFA profiles) were determined under three sets of conditions: (1) litter and microorganisms; (2) litter, microorganisms and millipedes; (3) litter, microorganisms and millipede faecal pellets regularly added to litter. Two watering frequencies were used to study the effects of simulated drought on the measured variables. Millipedes consumed large amounts of shrub litter with low assimilation efficiency. The largest effect was observed for Cistus that showed also the highest rate of microbial-driven decomposition. Conversion of litter into faecal pellets by millipedes did not increase organic matter decomposition and there was no evidence for a stimulation of microbial activity in faecal pellets compared to uningested litter. Faecal pellet deposition on litter, which was maximal in Cistus, did not change mass loss and SIR rates of litter but significantly changed microbial community structure. Bacterial biomass was lower and fungal:bacterial ratio was higher in moist, but not in dry Cistus litter, after 1 month of regular faeces addition. Simulated drought strongly decreased microbial-driven decomposition but not millipede feeding. The resulting sustained production of faecal pellets, however, did not offset the slower microbial-driven decomposition under dry conditions. We conclude that the transformation of large amounts of shrub litter into faeces by macroarthropods and the resultant interactions with microorganisms do not enhance carbon mineralization in the short term, regardless of litter humidity. We however expect that faeces could be incorporated into the soil more easily than intact plant litter, with important consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling in Mediterranean ecosystems under increasing drought.

Postfire Burnt-Wood Management Affects Plant Damage by Ungulate Herbivores

I analyze the effect of post-fire burnt wood management on herbivore attack on a woody plant species (Ulex parviflorus). Two experimental plots of ca. 20 hectares were established at two elevations in a burnt area in a Mediterranean mountain (Sierra Nevada, Spain). Three replicates of three treatments differing in post-fire burnt wood management were established per plot: “no intervention” (NI, all trees remained standing), “partial cut plus lopping” (PCL, felling the trees, cutting the main branches, and leaving all the biomassin situ), and “salvage logging” (SL; removal of logs and elimination of woody debris). Risk of herbivory and damage intensity were monitored for two years. The pattern of attack by ungulate herbivores varied among treatments and years. In any case, there was an overall reduction in the risk of herbivory in the PCL treatment, presumably because the highest habitat complexity in this treatment hampered ungulate movement and foraging. As a result, the burnt logs and branches spread over the ground acted as a physical barrier that protected seedlings from herbivores. This protection may be used for the regeneration of shrubs and trees, and it is of interest for the regeneration of burnt sites either naturally or by reforestation.

Tanned or Burned: The Role of Fire in Shaping Physical Seed Dormancy

Plant species with physical seed dormancy are common in mediterranean fire-prone ecosystems. Because fire breaks seed dormancy and enhances the recruitment of many species, this trait might be considered adaptive in fire-prone environments. However, to what extent the temperature thresholds that break physical seed dormancy have been shaped by fire (i.e., for post-fire recruitment) or by summer temperatures in the bare soil (i.e., for recruitment in fire-independent gaps) remains unknown. Our hypothesis is that the temperature thresholds that break physical seed dormancy have been shaped by fire and thus we predict higher dormancy lost in response to fire than in response to summer temperatures. We tested this hypothesis in six woody species with physical seed dormancy occurring in fire-prone areas across the Mediterranean Basin. Seeds from different populations of each species were subject to heat treatments simulating fire (i.e., a single high temperature peak of 100°C, 120°C or 150°C for 5 minutes) and heat treatments simulating summer (i.e., temperature fluctuations; 30 daily cycles of 3 hours at 31°C, 4 hours at 43°C, 3 hours at 33°C and 14 hours at 18°C). Fire treatments broke dormancy and stimulated germination in all populations of all species. In contrast, summer treatments had no effect over the seed dormancy for most species and only enhanced the germination in Ulex parviflorus, although less than the fire treatments. Our results suggest that in Mediterranean species with physical dormancy, the temperature thresholds necessary to trigger seed germination are better explained as a response to fire than as a response to summer temperatures. The high level of dormancy release by the heat produced by fire might enforce most recruitment to be capitalized into a single post-fire pulse when the most favorable conditions occur. This supports the important role of fire in shaping seed traits.

Clarifying the role of fire heat and daily temperature fluctuations as germination cues for Mediterranean Basin obligate seeders

This study aims to determine the role that both direct effects of fire and subsequent daily temperature fluctuations play in the seed bank dynamics of obligate seeders from the Mediterranean Basin. The short yet high soil temperatures experienced due to passage of fire are conflated with the lower, but longer, temperatures experienced by daily fluctuations which occur after removing vegetation. These germination cues are able to break seed dormancy, but it is difficult to assess their specific level of influence because they occur consecutively after summer fires, just before the flush of germination in the wet season (autumn). By applying experimental fires, seed treatments were imposed that combined fire exposure/non-fire exposure with exposure to microhabitats under a gradient of disturbance (i.e. gaps opened by fire, mechanical brushing and intact vegetation). The seeds used were representative of the main families of obligate seeders (Ulex parviflorus, Cistus albidus and Rosmarinus officinalis). Specifically, an assessment was made of (1) the proportion of seeds killed by fire, (2) seedling emergence under field conditions and (3) seeds which remained ungerminated in soil. For the three species studied, the factors that most influenced seedling emergence and seeds remaining ungerminated were microhabitats with higher temperature fluctuations after fire (gaps opened by fire and brushing treatments). The direct effect of fire decreased the seedling emergence of U. parviflorus and reduced the proportion of seeds of R. officinalis remaining ungerminated. The relevance of depleting vegetation (and subsequent daily temperature fluctuation in summer) suggests that studies focusing on lower temperature thresholds for breaking seed dormancy are required. This fact also supports the hypothesis that the seeding capacity in Mediterranean Basin obligate seeders may have evolved as a response to a wide range of disturbances, and not exclusively to fire.

Seedling establishment along post-fire succession in Mediterranean shrublands dominated by obligate seeders

Seedlings are expected to be particularly sensitive to the environmental conditions at the time of establishment. Within succession, environmental conditions vary over time and a species will have a better chance to regenerate on a particular place depending on the intrinsic traits that determine its regeneration niche. We examined the regeneration niche and the pattern of seedling establishment along succession of the main species present in a Mediterranean shrubland. The establishment of Cistus albidus, Rosmarinus officinalis and Ulex parviflorus was monitored for three years using seasonal cohorts in three different stages along a successional gradient (post-fire, building and mature). There was a flush of establishment immediately after fire in all species. After this event, there was a decline in establishment as succession progressed, until practically no seedling establishment was found at mature stages. The presence of a thick litter layer probably precluded seedling establishment at this stage. The establishment of Cistus was very closely tied to the post-fire environment, while recruitment of Rosmarinus and Ulex also occurred in the building stage. In contrast to what has been reported in other Mediterranean shrublands, recruitment in our study area was not restricted solely to post-fire stages, and shrubs also recruited opportunistically when open gaps in the canopy were available along succession. The differences in preferred micro-sites for the establishment suggest a differentiation in regeneration niches and a particular set of environmental conditions where the different species would be particularly competitive through succession. Thus, Cistus regenerates mostly in highly perturbed environments, whereas Ulex and Rosmarinus benefit from environments with longer inter-fire periods.

Fires enhance flammability inUlex parviflorus

Fires enhance flammability in<i>Ulex parviflorus</i>

A resprouter herb reduces negative density-dependent effects among neighboring seeders after fire

Plant communities are often composed of species belonging to different functional groups, but relatively few studies to date have explicitly linked their spatial structure to the outcome of the interaction among them. We investigated if mortality of seeder species during their establishment after fire is influenced by the proximity of the resprouter herb Brachypodium retusum. The study was conducted in a Mediterranean shrubland (00°39′ W; 38°43′ N), 40 km northwest of Alicante (Spain) with Ulex parviflorus, Cistus albidus, Helianthemum marifolium, and Ononis fruticosa as dominant obligate seeder species and a herbaceous layer is dominated by the resprouter B. retusum. We followed the fate of mapped seedlings and the biomass of B. retusum one, two, three and nine years after an experimental fire. We used point pattern analyses to evaluate the spatial pattern of mortality of seeder species at these years in relation to the biomass of B. retusum. We hypothesize that B. retusum may initially have a positive impact on seeder survival. We implemented this hypothesis as a point process model that maintains the overall number of dead seeder plants, but seeder survival varied proportionally to the biomass of B. retusum in its neighborhood. We then contrasted this hypothesis with a previous analysis based on a random mortality hypothesis. Our data were consistent with the hypothesis that proximity of B. retusum reduced the mortality of seeder plants at their establishment phase (i.e., 2 yrs after fire). However, we found no evidence that B. retusum influenced seeder mortality when plants grow to maturity. We also found that, under the more stressful conditions (fire + erosion scenario), B. retusum had a lower impact on the performance of seeder species. Our results suggest that B. retusum may reduce negative density-dependent effects among neighboring seeder plants during the first years after fire.

Successional trends in standing dead biomass in Mediterranean basin species

Question: Landscape models of fire occurrence in ecosystems assume that the time since the last fire determines vegetation flammability by enabling the accumulation of dead biomass. In this study we ask if Mediterranean basin shrublands respond to these models or, on the contrary, if initial successional stages in these ecosystems could be more flammable than later stages. Location: Mediterranean shrubland in the Valencia region, eastern Spain. Methods: Using different stages of vegetation development (5, 9, 14 and 26 years since the last fire), we first study the structural comiosition of the above-ground biomass in 375 individuals of nine woody species. Then, we measure how the standing dead biomass varies during succession, taking into account the surface cover of each species and the quantity of total dead biomass accumulated in different successional stages (3, 9, 14 and 26 years since the last fire). Results: The largest amount of standing dead biomass at the plant community level is observed in the middle stages of the succession. Early successional species, such as Cistus spp., Ulex parviflorus and Pinus halepensis, have a higher percentage of standing dead biomass at earlier stages in the succession than species typical of later successional stages, e.g. Juniperus oxycedrus, Quercus coccifera and Quercus ilex. Conclusions: The results suggest that monotonic increase in fire hazard with increasing stand age is not necessarily the rule in Mediterranean basin shrublands, since early successional species may accumulate large amounts of standing dead biomass and thus promote fire at early successional stages.

Restoration of a Mediterranean Postfire Shrubland: Plant Functional Responses to Organic Soil Amendment

We investigated the potential of plant functional responses to speed up restoration in a postfire ecosystem. The patterns of change in plant nutrient uptake and water potential after compost amendment were monitored for 2 years in a 7‐year‐old postfire shrubland in southeastern France. We studied four different stress‐tolerant species with contrasting life traits: three shrub species and a perennial herb. Three treatments were applied: control, 50 and 100 Mg/ha of fresh cocomposted sewage sludge and green waste. In both compost treatments, concentrations of all the macronutrients increased. The amendment improved N and cation nutrition, but the positive effect of compost on plant nutrient status was most apparent on leaf P concentrations, indicating that P was a limiting nutrient in this shrubland. Compost had no significant short‐term effect on trace metal concentrations in plants. The plant nutrition response of different species to the compost varied; the nutritional status of Brachypodium retusum and Cistus albidus improved the most, whereas that of Quercus coccifera and Ulex parviflorus improved the least. Woody species exhibited no increase in N stocks. Phosphorus accumulation was also about three times higher in plots amended at 50 Mg/ha than in control plots for B. retusum and C. albidus. The severe summer drought of 2003 altered the compost effect. Contrary to our expectations, plants on amended plots did not exhibit a better water status in summer: the effect of the summer drought had a greater effect on water status than did the compost treatment.