Re-Assembly of the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem: Effects of Groundcover Seeding on Understory Community, Fire Behavior and Soil Properties

Forests

Jason G. Vogel¹  Benju Baniya¹  Seth W. Bigelow²  Steven T. Brantley²  Scott Taylor²  Ajay Sharma³ 

[1] School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;The Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, GA 39870, USA;West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Milton, FL 32583, USA;

关键词: Pinus palustris Mill;    forest restoration;    groundcover;    southern pine;    diversity;    prescribed fire;   

DOI  :  10.3390/f13040519

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Planting native groundcover is often recommended to restore the understory of longleaf pine stands in the southeastern United States, but the effectiveness of such restoration activities remains poorly evaluated. We conducted a study in 25-year-old longleaf pine plantation stands in Georgia, USA, to examine the effects of seeding native groundcover on understory characteristics, fire behavior and soil properties. In 2015, four stands were seeded with five warm-season C₄ grasses and a legume and four served as controls. In Fall 2020, we sampled the understory and analyzed soils collected from these stands, and in Spring 2021, fire behavior was evaluated. A total of 120 species were recorded in the understory across the stands, with the seeded species average foliar cover of 15%. There were no significant differences in species richness and Shannon diversity index of the seeded and control stands but understory species composition changed significantly. Soil properties and fire behavior during the prescribed fire also did not differ significantly between treatments, however, mean flame residence time was higher in seeded stands (108 s). Agricultural legacies of elevated soil P and old-field indicator species were prominent across stands. Overall, seeding had a minor effect on longleaf pine ecological characteristics in five years.

【 授权许可】

Unknown