DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF POSTFIRE REGENERATION IN PORTUGUESE MEDITERRANEAN MAQUIS

Citation
As. Clemente et al., DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF POSTFIRE REGENERATION IN PORTUGUESE MEDITERRANEAN MAQUIS, International journal of wildland fire, 6(1), 1996, pp. 5-12
Citations number
40
Categorie Soggetti
Forestry
ISSN journal
10498001
Volume
6
Issue
1
Year of publication
1996
Pages
5 - 12
Database
ISI
SICI code
1049-8001(1996)6:1<5:DPAPOP>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
After a wildfire in September, 1991, post-fire regeneration of Serra d a Arrabida maquis was studied and compared to an adjacent 30-yr-old un burned site. Two years after fire, cover and aboveground biomass was h alf of the amount found in unburned stands. This rapid recovery was ma inly due to resprouting species: Q. coccifera was dominant during all stages of regeneration. Herbaceous species were abundant during the fi rst two years after fire but became scarce in the older communities. O bligate seeders showed different patterns of recovery: Cistus species established many seedlings immediately after fire, but were less abund ant in older stands; Rosmarinus officinalis attained high dominance in unburned sites but seedling recruitment was delayed, yet continuous d uring post-fire succession. This difference between two genera with th e same obligate seeding strategy suggests that life history responses to environmental factors may affect or shape species distribution duri ng post-fire regeneration.