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| summary of our study design and the results © Ramona J. Heim |
Our results on the impacts of fires on birds and plants at Muraviovka Park are now published in Biodiversity and Conservation (Link). You can get access through ResearchGate or by sending me an e-mail.
Wildfires affect biodiversity at multiple levels. While vegetation
is directly changed by fire events, animals are often indirectly
affected through changes in habitat and food availability. Globally,
fire frequency and the extent of fires are predicted to increase in the
future. The impact of fire on the biodiversity of temperate wetlands has
gained little attention so far. We compared species richness and
abundance of plants and birds in burnt and unburnt areas in the Amur
floodplain/Russian Far East in the year of fire and 1 year after. We
also analysed vegetation recovery in relation to time since fire over a
period of 18 years. Plant species richness was higher in burnt compared
to unburnt plots in the year of the fire, but not in the year after.
This suggests that fire has a positive short-term effect on plant
diversity. Bird species richness and abundance were lower on burnt
compared to unburnt plots in the year of the fire, but not in the year
after. Over a period of 18 years, high fire frequency led to an increase
in herb cover and a decrease in grass cover. We show that the effects
on biodiversity are taxon- and species-specific. Fire management
strategies in temperate wetlands should consider fire frequency as a key
driving force of vegetation structure, with carry-over effects on
higher trophic levels. Designing fire “refuges”, i.e., areas that do not
burn annually, might locally be necessary to maintain high species
richness.
Unsere Ergebnisse zum Einfluss von Feuer auf die Pflanzen und Vögel des Muraviovka Parks wurden nun in der international renommierten Fachzeitschrift Biodiversity and Conservation (Link) veröffentlicht. Verfügbar ist der Artikel über ResearchGate oder per E-Mail bei mir.
Während die Pflanzendiversität positiv von Feuer beeinflusst wurde, konnten wir für die Vogeldiversität vor allem negative Effekte feststellen. Der Einfluss des Feuers war jedoch kurzfristig und nach nur einem Jahr kaum noch sichtbar. Wenn man jedoch die Häufigkeit in Betracht zieht, mit der die Gebiete am Amur abbrennen, wird deutlich, dass die regelmäßigen Brände einen starken Einfluss haben. Wir empfehlen daher 1. die Regulierung der Brandhäufigkeit, und 2. den Schutz von Teilgebieten, welche vom Feuer verschont bleiben, und damit als Brutstätte für bedrohte Vogelarten dienen können.
// Wieland
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| Fire frequency in the area around Muraviovka Park © Ramona J. Heim |
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| Indicator species for unburnt areas: Dusky Warbler © Arend Heim |
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Indicator species for burnt wetlands: Japanese Reed Bunting © Arend Heim |
