Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021
Disturbance interval modulates the starting point for vegetation succession
Gustafsson, Lena; Johansson, Victor; Leverkus, Alexandro B.; Strengbom, Joachim; Wikberg, Sofie; Granath, GustafAbstract
Increased frequency and new types of disturbances caused by global change calls for deepened insights into possible alterations of successional pathways. Despite current interest in disturbance interactions there is a striking lack of studies focusing on the implication of decreasing times between disturbances. We surveyed forest-floor vegetation (vascular plants and bryophytes) in a Pinus sylvestris-dominated, even-aged production forest landscape, unique because of the presence of stands under a precisely dated disturbance interval gradient, ranging from 0 to 123 yr between clearcutting and a subsequent megafire. Despite a dominance of early-successional species in all burned stands 5 yr after fire, progression of succession was linked to time since the preceding clearcutting disturbance. This was most clearly seen in increased frequency with time since clearcutting of the dominant, late-successional dwarf shrub Vaccinium myrtillus, with surviving rhizomes as an important mechanism for postfire recovery. Our results demonstrate the role of legacy species as significant drivers of succession. We conclude that the starting point for succession is modulated by disturbance interval, so that shortened intervals risk reducing development towards late-successional stages. We suggest that a decrease in long successional sequences caused by more frequent disturbances may represent a general pattern, relevant also for other forest types and ecosystems.Keywords
clearcutting; disturbance interaction; disturbance modification; ecological legacy; fire; light; plants; succession; traits; vegetationPublished in
Ecology2021, volume: 102, number: 9, article number: e03439
Publisher: WILEY
Authors' information
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology
Johansson, Victor
Linkoping University
Leverkus, Alexandro B.
University of Granada
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology
Granath, Gustaf
Uppsala University
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3439
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/113210