Fire and fungus in a mountain hemlock forest

摘要: Two mortality factors create large-scale pattern in forests of Tsuga mertensiana subalpine central Oregon Cascade Mountains. Half an 18 000 - ha study area has experienced stand-destroying fire during the last 500 years. These fires varied size from 1 to 3200 ha. Individual Phellinus weirii infestations are smaller than most and collectively cover less total area, but they more numerous fine-grained their dispersion. Postfire stands colonized by Pinus contorta, which persists for 2 centuries before being replaced mountain hemlock. In older 200 years, becomes apparent as it spreads centers forms patches where infects trees alters plant community. Fungal isolates were collected 61 infestations; these subjected clonal analyses. Spatial dispersion ramets genets supports inference that many sibling have survived fire. The age distribution yi...