Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue
Drought and fire, which may increase in frequency and severity because of global warming, were simulated in mid-boreal wetlands by transplanting soil blocks upslope to a lower water table and by prescribed burns. In the 2 years after treatments were applied to seasonally flooded vegetation zones in...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Botany |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b91-250 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b91-250 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/b91-250 2023-12-17T10:51:26+01:00 Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue Hogenbirk, John C. Wein, Ross W. 1991 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b91-250 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b91-250 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Botany volume 69, issue 9, page 1991-1997 ISSN 0008-4026 Plant Science journal-article 1991 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/b91-250 2023-11-19T13:39:16Z Drought and fire, which may increase in frequency and severity because of global warming, were simulated in mid-boreal wetlands by transplanting soil blocks upslope to a lower water table and by prescribed burns. In the 2 years after treatments were applied to seasonally flooded vegetation zones in the Peace–Athabasca Delta, Alberta, the drought treatment did not significantly change stem density and height of the dominant hygrophytes Calamagrostis canadensis and Carex atherodes. Dicotyledonous species' density and richness increased 3- to 36-fold on soil blocks moved upslope to the driest vegetation zone relative to unmoved soil blocks. The percent cover of native dicotyledonous species was unaffected but that of xerophytic Eurasian species, Sonchus arvensis and Cirsium arvense, increased 5- to 13-fold after drought treatment. Fire, particularly the deepest burn, reduced graminoid density and height up to 90%. Dicotyledon density, but not richness, was generally higher after fire. Plant cover was unaffected by fire but Eurasian species' cover was still 3- to 15-fold greater than that of native species. Seasonally flooded vegetation zones will likely be shifted from flood-driven dynamics with cool and moist environmental conditions towards drought- and fire-driven dynamics with warmer and drier conditions. It is hypothesized that, under these climate change conditions, Eurasian species might dominate early successional communities in mid-boreal wetlands. Key words: drought, fire, greenhouse effect, Peace–Athabasca Delta, wetland vegetation, Wood Buffalo National Park. Article in Journal/Newspaper Wood Buffalo Wood Buffalo National Park Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) Wood Buffalo ENVELOPE(-112.007,-112.007,57.664,57.664) Peace-Athabasca Delta ENVELOPE(-111.502,-111.502,58.667,58.667) Canadian Journal of Botany 69 9 1991 1997 |
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Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) |
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crcansciencepubl |
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English |
topic |
Plant Science |
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Plant Science Hogenbirk, John C. Wein, Ross W. Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
topic_facet |
Plant Science |
description |
Drought and fire, which may increase in frequency and severity because of global warming, were simulated in mid-boreal wetlands by transplanting soil blocks upslope to a lower water table and by prescribed burns. In the 2 years after treatments were applied to seasonally flooded vegetation zones in the Peace–Athabasca Delta, Alberta, the drought treatment did not significantly change stem density and height of the dominant hygrophytes Calamagrostis canadensis and Carex atherodes. Dicotyledonous species' density and richness increased 3- to 36-fold on soil blocks moved upslope to the driest vegetation zone relative to unmoved soil blocks. The percent cover of native dicotyledonous species was unaffected but that of xerophytic Eurasian species, Sonchus arvensis and Cirsium arvense, increased 5- to 13-fold after drought treatment. Fire, particularly the deepest burn, reduced graminoid density and height up to 90%. Dicotyledon density, but not richness, was generally higher after fire. Plant cover was unaffected by fire but Eurasian species' cover was still 3- to 15-fold greater than that of native species. Seasonally flooded vegetation zones will likely be shifted from flood-driven dynamics with cool and moist environmental conditions towards drought- and fire-driven dynamics with warmer and drier conditions. It is hypothesized that, under these climate change conditions, Eurasian species might dominate early successional communities in mid-boreal wetlands. Key words: drought, fire, greenhouse effect, Peace–Athabasca Delta, wetland vegetation, Wood Buffalo National Park. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hogenbirk, John C. Wein, Ross W. |
author_facet |
Hogenbirk, John C. Wein, Ross W. |
author_sort |
Hogenbirk, John C. |
title |
Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
title_short |
Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
title_full |
Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
title_fullStr |
Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
title_sort |
fire and drought experiments in northern wetlands: a climate change analogue |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1991 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b91-250 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b91-250 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-112.007,-112.007,57.664,57.664) ENVELOPE(-111.502,-111.502,58.667,58.667) |
geographic |
Wood Buffalo Peace-Athabasca Delta |
geographic_facet |
Wood Buffalo Peace-Athabasca Delta |
genre |
Wood Buffalo Wood Buffalo National Park |
genre_facet |
Wood Buffalo Wood Buffalo National Park |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Botany volume 69, issue 9, page 1991-1997 ISSN 0008-4026 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/b91-250 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Botany |
container_volume |
69 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1991 |
op_container_end_page |
1997 |
_version_ |
1785576703875088384 |