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Does prescribed burning affect leaf secondary metabolites in pine stands?
A V Lavoir1, E Ormeño, V Pasqualini
1ISA (Institut Sophia Agrobiotech: UMR Université de Nice - INRA - CNRS). Centre INRA-PACA Sophia Antipolis, 400 Rte des Chappes, 06903, Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France.
Journal of Chemical Ecology
|March 12, 2013
Summary
Prescribed burning (PB) impacts Mediterranean pine defenses differently by species. While Pinus halepensis shows stress and increased terpenes, Pinus nigra exhibits minor, short-lived changes, affecting forest management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Forest Ecology
- Plant Physiology
- Chemical Ecology
Background:
- Prescribed burning (PB) is a common forest management tool to reduce fuel loads.
- Its effects on tree chemical defenses and physiological health remain incompletely understood.
- Mediterranean pine forests face increasing fire risks, necessitating research into PB impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of prescribed burning on plant chemical defenses in Mediterranean pines (Pinus halepensis and Pinus nigra ssp. laricio).
- To assess how PB influences secondary metabolites, chlorophyll fluorescence, and soil nutrients.
- To understand species-specific responses to single and repeated burning events.
Main Methods:
- Field study comparing control, single burn, and repeated burn plots.
- Analysis of needle secondary metabolites (terpenes, phenolics, flavonoids).
- Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm, ΦPSII) and soil nutrient content.
Main Results:
- Pinus nigra showed minor, transient increases in flavonoids post-burn.
- Pinus halepensis exhibited decreased photosynthetic efficiency (ΦPSII) and stressed fluorescence (Fv/Fm) after PB.
- Repeated PB significantly increased terpene production in Pinus halepensis (2-3 fold).
- Correlations between terpene levels and soil chemistry were observed.
Conclusions:
- Prescribed burning affects Mediterranean pine secondary metabolism directly (temperature) and indirectly (soil nutrients).
- Impacts vary significantly by pine species, burn frequency, and time since the last fire.
- Findings inform the use of PB as a forest management technique, considering its effects on plant defenses.
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