Disturbance interval modulates the starting point for vegetation succession

Area of Science:

• Forest ecology
• Global change biology
• Plant community dynamics

Background:

• Global change is increasing disturbance frequency and intensity, necessitating research into altered ecological succession.
• Limited research exists on how decreasing intervals between disturbances affect successional pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of varying disturbance intervals on forest-floor vegetation recovery after a megafire.
• To understand how legacy species and time since prior disturbance influence post-fire succession in a production forest.

Main Methods:

• Vegetation surveys of vascular plants and bryophytes were conducted in a Pinus sylvestris forest.
• Study sites featured a gradient of precisely dated intervals between clearcutting and a subsequent megafire (0-123 years).

Main Results:

• Early-successional species dominated burned stands 5 years post-fire, but succession progression was influenced by time since the preceding clearcutting.
• The frequency of the late-successional dwarf shrub Vaccinium myrtillus increased with time since clearcutting, with surviving rhizomes aiding recovery.

Conclusions:

• Disturbance interval significantly modulates the starting point for ecological succession.
• Shortened disturbance intervals risk impeding the development of late-successional stages and may represent a general pattern across ecosystems.