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Effect of stand-replacing fires on Mediterranean plant species in their marginal alpine range

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Abstract

In the southern side of the Alps, many relic species with Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean distribution were described in mild-winter, fire-prone areas. Very few studies have modeled the importance of environmental factors on their distribution. In this paper, we assessed the effect of fire on the occurrence of euri- and steno-Mediterranean (ESM) species in Pinus sylvestris forests of Aosta Valley (Italy), by analyzing vegetation in a chronosequence of six stand-replacing fires (1962–2006). We analyzed species richness along the chronosequence, and modeled it as a function of time since fire, environment, and stand structure. We observed a strong positive association between ESM and total species richness. Temporal vegetation dynamics did not follow the direct succession pattern that is commonly observed in Mediterranean ecosystems. Two distinct maxima of ESM species richness were observed: (1) short lived, ruderal species (32 % of all ESM species) in the early post-fire stages, and (2) dry grassland species (54 %) in intermediate stages. The first were facilitated by the consumption of canopy and litter during fire, while the second by delayed tree canopy closure. In multivariate models of ESM species richness, light and elevation were the only significant predictors. Contrary to expectations, time since fire was not significant. Our study suggests that stand-replacing fires play an important role in preserving Mediterranean species in the study area by maintaining an open canopy, and promote local species diversity.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by the Alcotra project 2007/2013 ‘‘Foreste di protezione: tecniche gestionali e innovazione nelle Alpi occidentali—Forêts de protection: techniques de gestion et innovation dans les Alpes occidentales’’, with the co-sponsorship of Piedmont Region and Aosta Valley Autonomous Region. We thank James N. Long and Diego Trucchi for field sampling, Giancarlo Cesti and Corpo Forestale Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta, Nucleo Antincendi Boschivi for data provision.

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  1. Department of Agriculture, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy

    Michele Lonati, Giorgio Vacchiano, Roberta Berretti & Renzo Motta

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  1. Michele Lonati
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Correspondence to Michele Lonati.

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Lonati, M., Vacchiano, G., Berretti, R. et al. Effect of stand-replacing fires on Mediterranean plant species in their marginal alpine range. Alp Botany 123, 123–133 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-013-0115-6

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