Abstract
This paper is part of a wider study in which different combinations of species were assayed for the revegetation of experimentally burnt heathlands. In this particular case, we determined whether there was any interaction between the dominant species, Erica australis, which recovered by vegetative resprouting, and the only successful woody species sown, Cytisus sp., eight years after fire and seven years after sowing. A detailed study was carried out on each square metre of cover and height of both species in three 160 m2 plots. Total cover exceeded 100% in all subplots sown with Cytisus, whereas it did not reach 65% in the others, when both species coexist together. There was an inverse correlation between the covers of both species and a positive correlation between the height of Erica australis and the cover and the height of Cytisus. There was no significant difference in Erica cover in plots sown with Cytisus and plots not sown. There could be some competition for light, but both species are capable of coexisting with high canopy overlap, for at least some time. Cytisus is expanding from the seeded subplots, suggesting that the dense cover of Erica australis does not impede the establishment of Cytisus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bond W.J. and van Wilgen B.W. 1996. Fire and Plants. Chapman & Hall, New York.
Calvo L., Tárrega R. and Luis E. 2002. The dynamics of mediterranean shrub species over 12 years following perturbations. Plant Ecology 160: 25–42.
Casper B.B. and Jackson R.B. 1997. Plant competition underground. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 28: 545–570.
Cochan W.G. 1941. The distribution of the largest of a set estimated variances as a fraction of their total. Ann. Eugen (Lond.) 11: 47–61.
Cruz A. and Moreno J.M. 2001. Lignotuber size of Erica australis and its relationships with soil resources. Journal of Vegetation Science 12: 373–384.
David et al. 1954. The distribution of the ratio, in a single normal sample of range to standard deviation. Biometrika 41: 482–493.
Fernandez-Abascal I., Luis E., Tárrega R. and Valbuena L. 1998. Five years of recovery after experimental fire in a heathland. Effects of sowing native species. In: Viegas E.X. (ed.), Proc. 3rd International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal, pp. 1889–1899.
Fernandez-Abascal I., Luis E., Tárrega R. and Marcos E. 2002. Trends in post-fire biomass recovery in an Erica australis heathland. In: Trabaud L. and Prodon P. (eds), Bachuys Publishers, Leiden, pp. 33–42.
Fernández-Santos B. and Gómez-Gutierrez J.M. 1994. Changes in Cytisus balansae populations after fire. Journal of Vegetation Science 5: 463–472.
Fernández-Santos B., Gómez-Gutierrez J.M. and Moreno-Marcos G. 1999. Effects of disturbance caused by traditional Spanish rural land use on the regeneration of Cytisus multiflorus. Applied Vegetation Science 2: 239–250.
Hanes T. 1981. California chaparral. In: DiCastri F., Goodall D. and Specht R. (eds), Ecosystems of the World, Mediterranean-Type Shrublands. Vol. 11. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 139–174.
Keeley J.E. 1986. Resilience of mediterranean shrub communities to fire. In: Dell B., Hopkins A.J.M. and Lamont B.B. (eds), Resilience in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 95–112.
Keeley J.E. 1992a. Recruitment of seedlings and vegetative sprouts in unburned chaparral. Ecology 73: 1194–1208.
Keeley J.E. 1992b. Demographic structure of California chaparral in the long-term absence of fire. Journal of Vegetation Science 3: 79–90.
Keeley J.E. and Zedler P.H. 1978. Reproduction of chaparral shrubs after fire: a comparison of sprouting and seeding strategies. The American Midland Naturalist 99: 142–161.
Kummerow J., Ellis B.A. and Mills J.N. 1985. Post-fire establishement of Adenostoma fasciculatum and Ceanothus greggii in southern California chaparral. Madroño 32: 148–157.
Luis-Calabuig E., Tárrega R., Calvo L., Marcos E. and Valbuena L. 2000. History of landscape changes in northwest Spain according to land use and management. In: Trabaud L. (ed.), Life and Environment in the Mediterranean. Wit press, Southampton, pp. 43–86.
Marcos E., Fernández-Abascal I., Tárrega R. and Luis-Calabuig E. 1999. Temporal evaluation of the population of Cytisus spp. used as a recovery element in a burned area. In: Int. Symposium on Forest Fires: Needs & Innovations. Athens, pp. 395–399.
Moreno J.M., Vazquez A. and Velez R. 1998. Recent history of forest fires in Spain. In: Moreno J.M. (ed.), Large Forest Fires. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, pp. 159–185.
Moreno J.M., Cruz A. and Oechel C. 1999. Allometric relationships in two lignotuberous species from Mediterranean-type climate areas of Spain and California. Journal of Mediterranean Ecology 1: 49–60.
Naveh Z. 1974. Effects of fire in the Mediterranean Region. In: Kozlowski T.T. and Ahlgren C.E. (eds), Fire and Ecosystems. Academic Press, New York, pp. 401–434.
Pugnaire F.I., Armas C. and Tirado R. 2000. Balance de las interacciones entre plantas en ambientes mediterráneos. In: Zamora R. and Pugnaire F.I. (eds), Ecosistemas Mediterráneos. Análisis Funcional. C.S.I.C. and A.E.E.T. Textos Universitarios.
Reyes O., Basanta M., Casal M. and Diaz-Vizcaino E. 2000. Functioning and dynamics of woody plant ecosystems in Galicia (NW Spain). In: Trabaud L. (ed.), Life and Environment in the Mediterranean. Wit press, Southampton, pp. 1–39.
Reyes O. and Boedo M. 2001. El fuego como controlador de la germinación de Cytisus striatus y de C. multiflorus y su aplicación agronómica. In: III Congreso Forestal Español. Montes para la Sociedad del Nuevo Milenio. Granada, Tomo IV, pp. 15–21.
Tárrega R., Calvo L. and Trabaud L. 1992. Effects of high temperatures on seed germination of two woody Leguminosae. Vegetatio. 102: 139–147.
Trabaud L. 1984. Fire adaptation strategies of plants in the French Mediterranean area. In: Margaris N.S., Arianoustou-Farragitaki M. and Oechel W.C. (eds), Being Alive on Land. Tasks for Vegetation Science. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, pp. 63–69.
Trabaud L. 1987. Natural and prescribed fire: survival strategies of plants and equilibrium in mediterranean ecosystems. In: Tenhunen J.D. (ed.), Plant Response to Stress. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 607–621.
Tutin T.G., Heywood V.H., Burges N.A., Valentine D.H., Moore D.M. and Walters S.M. et al. 1964–1980. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press.
Valbuena L., Tárrega R. and Luis-Calabuig E. 2000. Seed banks of Erica australis and Calluna vulgaris in a heahtland subjected to experimental fire. Journal of Vegetation Science 11: 161–166.
Vilà M. and Terradas J. 1995. Effects of competition and disturbance on the resprouting performance of the Mediterranean shrub Erica multiflora L. (Ericaceae). American Journal of Botany 82: 1242–1248.
Vilà M. and Sardans J. 1999. Plant competition in mediterraneantype vegetation. Journal of Vegetation Science 10: 281–294.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marcos, E., Tárrega, R. & Luis-calabuig, E. Interactions between mediterranean shrub species eight years after experimental fire. Plant Ecology 170, 235–241 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000021680.90279.bc
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000021680.90279.bc