Plant community response to the East Amarillo Complex wildfires in the Southern High Plains, USA

摘要: Severe wildfires are increasing in extent the western US. We used a matched-pairs design with plots burned and non-burned areas to study effects of East Amarillo Complex (EAC) on mixed grass prairie mean community composition variability composition. Species ground cover data were collected at 5 sites each year for three years following EAC. Fire species analyzed permutational analyses variance; temporal patterns anova nonmetric multidimensional scaling; an index multivariate dispersion was assess plant found weak immediate impacts (year 1) wildfire composition, but strong by three. Two general changes emerged: 3 sites, there progressive divergence similarity between whereas 2 lessened over time. In contrast, trend increased homogeneity vegetation relative apparent all post-fire; also had higher diversity, evenness similar richness post-fire. Ground which immediately impacted through removal residual dry matter, fully recovered conditions after wildfire. observed little seedling recruitment either native or exotic Community likely result changing dominance relationships among plants that survived rather than new individuals gaps created dead plants. Given growth form perennial C4 grasses fact these grasslands evolved context repeated fire, it is compositional short-term responses.