Post-fire plant recovery in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of western North America |
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| Authors: | S.R. Abella |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Geography, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;2. Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;3. Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;4. Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;1. Senior Scientist, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies Inc., Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA;2. Contractor, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA;3. Research Physical Scientist, USGS EROS, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA;1. Botany, School of Rural Science and Natural Resources, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia;2. Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia;3. ERP Environmental Decisions Hub, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;4. Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin NT 0909, Australia;5. Flora & Fauna Division, Department of Land Resource Management, Northern Territory Government, Arid Zone Research Institute, South Stuart Hyw, Alice Springs 0870, Australia;6. Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;7. School of Veterinary and Life Science, Murdoch University, Perth WA 6150, Australia;8. Science and Conservation Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife and CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, Kensington, WA 6983, Australia;9. Science and Conservation Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kununurra WA 6743, Australia;10. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, P.Bag Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa;11. School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK;1. Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, WA, Australia;2. Kings Park Science, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 1 Kattidj Close, Kings Park, 6005, WA, Australia;3. Bushfire Technical Services, Rural Fire Division, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Perth 6000, WA, Australia;4. School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia;5. School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia;6. School of Earth, Atmospheric, and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, NSW, Australia;7. Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington 6151, WA, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Increasing wildfire activity is one of the most pressing management concerns in arid lands of the American West. To examine post-fire recovery of perennial vegetation in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, I analyzed data systematically synthesized from the literature. Post-fire sprouting by desert perennials is generally limited but varies among species. For example, only 3–37% of Larrea tridentata sprouted compared to 64–86% of Yucca schidigera. Four of five studies measuring recovery of perennial cover reported close relationships (r2 = 0.67–0.99) between time since fire (TSF) and cover. In fact, three studies measuring the longest TSF (≥37 years) found that cover had returned to within 10% cover of unburned areas within approximately 40 years. Conversely, post-fire species composition exhibited little convergence with unburned composition in five of six studies even 47 years after fire. Sphaeralcea ambigua, Gutierrezia spp., Achnatherum speciosum, Encelia spp., Hymenoclea salsola, and Baileya multiradiata had the highest burned:unburned abundance ratios, although overall post-fire community composition differed between the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Analyzing the literature as a whole suggested some generalities (e.g., that perennial cover reestablishes faster than composition), but more work is required for improving specific knowledge about plant recovery among fires, sites, species, and climates. |
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