scholarly journals Disturbance macroecology: a comparative study of community structure metrics in a high‐severity disturbance regime

Ecosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica A. Newman ◽  
Mark Q. Wilber ◽  
Karen E. Kopper ◽  
Max A. Moritz ◽  
Donald A. Falk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Disturbance Regime ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Structure Metrics

Is the END (emulation of natural disturbance) a new beginning? A critical analysis of the use of fire regimes as the basis of forest ecosystem management with examples from the Canadian western Cordillera

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Stockdale ◽  
Mike Flannigan ◽  
Ellen Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Forest Structure ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Disturbance Regime ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Management Actions

As our view of disturbances such as wildfire has shifted from prevention to recognizing their ecological necessity, so too forest management has evolved from timber-focused even-aged management to more holistic paradigms like ecosystem-based management. Emulation of natural disturbance (END) is a variant of ecosystem management that recognizes the importance of disturbance for maintaining ecological integrity. For END to be a successful model for forest management we need to describe disturbance regimes and implement management actions that emulate them, in turn achieving our objectives for forest structure and function. We review the different components of fire regimes (cause, frequency, extent, timing, and magnitude), we describe low-, mixed-, and high-severity fire regimes, and we discuss key issues related to describing these regimes. When characterizing fire regimes, different methods and spatial and temporal extents result in wide variation of estimates for different fire regime components. Comparing studies is difficult as few measure the same components; some methods are based on the assumption of a high-severity fire regime and are not suited to detecting mixed- or low-severity regimes, which are critical to END management, as this would affect retention in harvested areas. We outline some difficulties with using fire regimes as coarse filters for forest management, including (i) not fully understanding the interactions between fire and other disturbance agents, (ii) assuming that fire is strictly an exogenous disturbance agent that exerts top-down control of forest structure while ignoring numerous endogenous and bottom-up feedbacks on fire effects, and (iii) assuming by only replicating natural disturbance patterns we preserve ecological processes and vital ecosystem components. Even with a good understanding of a fire regime, we would still be challenged with choosing the temporal and spatial scope for the disturbance regime we are trying to emulate. We cannot yet define forest conditions that will arise from variations in disturbance regime; this then limits our ability to implement management actions that will achieve those conditions. We end by highlighting some important knowledge gaps about fire regimes and how the END model could be strengthened to achieve a more sustainable form of forest management.

Comparative study of fermentation and methanogen community structure in the digestive tract of goats and rabbits

2013 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 80-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Abecia ◽  
M. Fondevila ◽  
N. Rodríguez-Romero ◽  
G. Martínez ◽  
D. R. Yáñez-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Methanogen Community

A comparative study of five cerrado areas in southern Mato Grosso, Brazil

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. T. Oliveira-Filho ◽  
F. R. Martins
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Hierarchical Classification ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Savanna Woodland ◽  
Classification Techniques ◽  
Polar Ordination ◽  
Cerrado Savanna

Quantitative descriptions of the woody flora and soil analyses are given for five areas of cerrado (savanna woodland) near Cuiabá, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Comparisons are made of the floristic composition and community structure of these areas using polar ordination and hierarchical classification techniques.Descrições quantitativas da flora lenhosa e anâlises de solos são apresentadas para cinco áreas de cerrado nas proximidades de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. São realizadas comparações entre estas areas em composição florística e estrutura comunitária utilizando técnicas de ordenação polar e classifiçãcao hierárquica.

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