Species Composition and Fire: Non-Additive Mixture Effects on Ground Fuel Flammability

摘要: Biodiversity effects on many aspects of ecosystem function have been well documented. However, fire is an exception: experiments mainly included single species, bulk litter, or vegetation, and, as such, the role biodiversity a determinant flammability, crucial aspect function, poorly understood. This study first to experimentally test whether flammability characteristics two-species mixtures are non-additive, i.e. differ from expected based component species in monoculture. In standardized ground fuels, including monocultures and five contrasting subarctic plant fuel types controlled laboratory environment, we measured flame speed, duration maximum temperature. Broadly half mixture combinations showed non-additive for these indicators; were enhanced dominance effects, where with more flammable value characteristic determined whole mixture. The high incidence suggest that may important regimes vegetations differing changing composition.