The effect of prescribed burning on plant rarity in a temperate forest.

ABSTRACT: Rare species can play important functional roles, but human-induced changes to disturbance regimes, such as fire, can inadvertently affect these species. We examined the influence of prescribed burns on the recruitment and diversity of plant species within a temperate forest in southeastern Australia, with a focus on species that were rare prior to burning. Floristic composition was compared among plots in landscapes before and after treatment with prescribed burns differing in the extent of area burnt and season of burn (before-after, control-impact design). Floristic surveys were conducted before burns, at the end of a decade of drought, and 3 years postburn. We quantified the effect of prescribed burns on species grouped by their frequency within the landscape before burning (common, le

SUBMITTER: Patykowski J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5792504 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature