Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile

Coastal Maulino Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, is increasingly threatened by frequent and higher-severity wildfires. Endangered tree species, including Nothofagus spp., inhabit small, isolated native forest fragments surrounded by extensive Pinus radiata plantations, a non-native species that often...

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Main Authors: Víctor M. Escobedo, Persy Gómez, Marco A. Molina-Montenegro, Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1494548/full
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author Víctor M. Escobedo
Víctor M. Escobedo
Persy Gómez
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
author_facet Víctor M. Escobedo
Víctor M. Escobedo
Persy Gómez
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
author_sort Víctor M. Escobedo
collection DOAJ
description Coastal Maulino Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, is increasingly threatened by frequent and higher-severity wildfires. Endangered tree species, including Nothofagus spp., inhabit small, isolated native forest fragments surrounded by extensive Pinus radiata plantations, a non-native species that often colonises fire-affected areas. However, the seedling density of the native Chilean wineberry, Aristotelia chilensis, negatively correlates with the abundance of P. radiata seedlings in post-fire areas. This pattern emerged across areas burned at varying fire severities, sampled 8 and 24 months following the 2017 “Las Máquinas” megafire in Chile. The high proportion of plots lacking P. radiata seedlings, coupled with this negative relationship, suggests that A. chilensis may play a role in limiting P. radiata invasion. The negative relationship was most pronounced in areas with moderate fire severity, likely reflecting differences in shade tolerance between the species. While A. chilensis, a light-demanding species with some shade tolerance, can persist in partially shaded environments, P. radiata, a strictly light-demanding species, struggles under significant shade. In low-severity areas, no significant relationship was observed since the substantial native canopy remaining likely limits P. radiata establishment by shading. Conversely, in high-severity fire areas, the absence of a significant relationship might result from the detrimental effects on both species, including potential microbiome dependence for A. chilensis. Given the successful establishment of A. chilensis at low fire severity, enhancing its post-fire recruitment, particularly in moderately burned areas, could be a valuable strategy for mitigating P. radiata invasion and restoring fire-affected Mediterranean ecosystems.
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spelling doaj-art-42544a4d7b974ad4a031621a9073b03d2024-12-11T06:45:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2024-12-011210.3389/fevo.2024.14945481494548Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central ChileVíctor M. Escobedo0Víctor M. Escobedo1Persy Gómez2Marco A. Molina-Montenegro3Marco A. Molina-Montenegro4Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez5Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez6Centro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileDirección de Investigación, Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCentro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCentro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCentro de Investigación en Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, ChileCentro de Ecología Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileDirección de Investigación, Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, ChileCoastal Maulino Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, is increasingly threatened by frequent and higher-severity wildfires. Endangered tree species, including Nothofagus spp., inhabit small, isolated native forest fragments surrounded by extensive Pinus radiata plantations, a non-native species that often colonises fire-affected areas. However, the seedling density of the native Chilean wineberry, Aristotelia chilensis, negatively correlates with the abundance of P. radiata seedlings in post-fire areas. This pattern emerged across areas burned at varying fire severities, sampled 8 and 24 months following the 2017 “Las Máquinas” megafire in Chile. The high proportion of plots lacking P. radiata seedlings, coupled with this negative relationship, suggests that A. chilensis may play a role in limiting P. radiata invasion. The negative relationship was most pronounced in areas with moderate fire severity, likely reflecting differences in shade tolerance between the species. While A. chilensis, a light-demanding species with some shade tolerance, can persist in partially shaded environments, P. radiata, a strictly light-demanding species, struggles under significant shade. In low-severity areas, no significant relationship was observed since the substantial native canopy remaining likely limits P. radiata establishment by shading. Conversely, in high-severity fire areas, the absence of a significant relationship might result from the detrimental effects on both species, including potential microbiome dependence for A. chilensis. Given the successful establishment of A. chilensis at low fire severity, enhancing its post-fire recruitment, particularly in moderately burned areas, could be a valuable strategy for mitigating P. radiata invasion and restoring fire-affected Mediterranean ecosystems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1494548/fullinvasion resistancefire severityCoastal Maulino Forestpost-fire establishmentsoil microbiome
spellingShingle Víctor M. Escobedo
Víctor M. Escobedo
Persy Gómez
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
invasion resistance
fire severity
Coastal Maulino Forest
post-fire establishment
soil microbiome
title Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile
title_full Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile
title_fullStr Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile
title_full_unstemmed Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile
title_short Post-fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the Coastal Maulino Forest in Central Chile
title_sort post fire negative relationship between a native tree and an invasive pine at the coastal maulino forest in central chile
topic invasion resistance
fire severity
Coastal Maulino Forest
post-fire establishment
soil microbiome
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1494548/full
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