Browsing by Author "Moloney, Kirk A."

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    Flammability features of native and non-native woody species from the southernmost ecosystems: a review
    (2024) Toy Opazo, Octavio Alexander; Fuentes Ramírez, Andrés; Palma Soto, Valeria; Garcia, Rafael A.; Moloney, Kirk A.; Demarco, Rodrigo; Fuentes Castillo, Andrés
    Background: Vegetation plays a crucial role in the ignition, propagation, and severity of fre, and understanding the relationship between plants and fre through fammability attributes has become a useful tool that is increasingly used in studies on fre dynamics worldwide. However, in the southern cone of South America, rather few studies have systematically and specifcally addressed the fammability of vegetation, and yet fewer have compared native and non-native species. Given the increasing interest in knowing the fammability characteristics of vegetation, this review aims to assess the potential diferences in fammability between native and non-native plant species that inhabit the southern cone and to identify the main methodologies and experiments used to analyze vegetation fammability. Results: Twenty-eight species were identifed, 18 native to the region and 10 non-native. Additionally, 64 experimental tests were revised to evaluate plant fammability. It was found that Cryptocarya alba, Acacia dealbata, Eucalyptus globulus, and Pinus ponderosa are the species with a high fammability index. By contrast, the species Araucaria araucana, Austrocedrus chilensis, Embothrium coccineum, and Persea lingue showed low fammability. The methodologies used to evaluate vegetation fammability were highly variable, with the use of epiradiators being the most frequent. Conclusions: Our review indicates that the geographic origin of vegetation (native vs. non-native in South America) is not a decisive factor in determining species-level diferences in fammability. Other relevant factors that contribute with the degree of plant fammability include fuel moisture, the morphology of the species, and its internal chemical compounds. We highlight the necessity of continuing the study of plant fammability and advance in the standardization of protocols and measurements, using uniform criteria and increasing comparative studies between species, particularly in the southern cone of South America where catastrophic wildfres are increasing.
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    Spatio-Temporal Variation in Soil Nutrients and Plant Recovery across a Fire-Severity Gradient in Old-Growth Araucaria-Nothofagus Forests of South-Central Chile
    (2022) Fuentes-Ramirez, Andres; Almonacid-Munoz, Leonardo; Munoz-Gomez, Nayadeth; Moloney, Kirk A.
    Forest fires can alter essential ecosystem processes, including soil nutrient cycling, potentially cascading into permanent vegetation changes. This is key to elucidate in ecosystems where fires are infrequent. We assessed the effects of fire severity on the spatio-temporal response of soil nutrients and plant diversity in old-growth forests of south-central Chile, 1, 2, and 3 years after a fire that occurred in 2015. Within ancient, old-growth Araucaria araucana (Mol.) K. Koch and Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. and Endl.) Krasser forests, ranging from areas burned with fire of high severity to unburned forests, we evaluated nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and soil organic matter (SOM) content using spatial interpolation to predict their spatial distribution and assessed their availability over time. We also assessed plant species richness and abundance following the fire. The availability of N noticeably increased during the first year after fire but rapidly decreased in the following years, especially in areas of high fire severity. P, K, and SOM were less affected by the fire, remaining more constant over time. In the short term, plant species richness and diversity significantly decreased in severely burned areas, but over time, they became more similar to those of the unburned forests. The time since a fire and its severity determine a heterogeneous distribution of soil nutrients, with N shifting to a significantly lower availability after fire, which was more notable in areas of high fire severity. Here, vegetation exhibited a decrease in plant diversity and the establishment of exotic species, likely producing cascading effects at the community level.