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Effects of fire on the demography of the endangered, geophytic herb Silene spaldingii (Caryophyllaceae)
Author(s) -
Lesica Peter
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.2307/2656617
Subject(s) - biology , caryophyllaceae , endangered species , silene , herb , ecology , demography , botany , medicinal herbs , traditional medicine , habitat , medicine , sociology
Understanding the effects of disturbances such as fire on plant demography helps elucidate the mechanisms that cause changes in community composition. I studied the effects of spring and fall fires on Silene spaldingii, an endangered perennial herb of grasslands in northwest Montana. Individual S. spaldingii plants were mapped, and size and flowering were recorded for 1 yr prior and 5 yr subsequent to the burn treatments. Enhanced seedling recruitment (70–410%) and a 22% increase in population size were the principal effects of fire on S. spaldingii, and fall burn plots had lower recruitment than spring burn plots. These effects were apparent for 2–3 yr following the treatments. Fire had no detectable effect on the survival of adults or recruits of S. spaldingii. Silene spaldingii exhibits prolonged dormancy in which plants do not produce aboveground vegetation for one to several consecutive years. Results suggest that fire has a positive effect on the population dynamics of S. spaldingii by removing litter and creating safe sites for recruitment. Prescribed fire should be an important tool for managing populations of this rare plant.