Ecosphere最新文献

{"title":"Tripled plant productivity and soil microbiome restructuring in a greenhouse volcanic ash fertilization experiment","authors":"Hubert Staudigel,&nbsp;Mathilde Borg Dahl,&nbsp;Yohannes B. Tesfay,&nbsp;Ilka Beil,&nbsp;Tim Urich,&nbsp;Juergen Kreyling","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70406","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70406","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Volcanic ash is widely held responsible for fertilizing soils, but the processes and conditions leading to volcanic soil fertility remain poorly understood. We report here the results of a greenhouse volcanic ash fertilization (VAF) experiment aimed to explore the impact of basaltic ash addition (0–10 wt%) to soil on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and the soil microbiome. Our four-month experiment with the Coleus species <i>Plectranthus scutellarioides</i> on forest soil revealed a non-linear growth response with distinct growth patterns below and above 3 wt% ash addition, respectively. Low ash VAF (&lt;3 wt% ash) had a negligible growth impact, while high ash addition yielded a threefold increase in biomass production, reproductive effort, and total nutrient uptake in aboveground plant biomass. An increased uptake of nutrients that are not part of the ash itself (e.g., nitrogen) implies that VAF was not a direct nutrient addition process but rather acts indirectly. The soil microbiome composition (16S rRNA; Bacteria/Archaea, and 18S rRNA; Eukaryota, rRNA gene markers) also changed at &gt;3 wt% ash concentrations, with no apparent further change with increasing ash content. Key changes were not only an increased relative abundance of several potentially plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria and fungi but also a decreased nematode abundance, suggesting that changes in the microbiome are likely a major factor for the substantial VAF effect observed in our experiment. We conclude that VAF with basaltic ash offers substantial potential benefits for agriculture as well as post-eruptive plant productivity on soils possibly associated with significant CO₂ sequestration from the atmosphere. However, VAF is a complex process that does not act by simple nutrient addition from its chemical inventory but rather acts by restructuring the soil growth environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70406","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145101067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Above- and belowground microenvironmental attributes cluster to varying degrees around Wyoming big sagebrush canopies","authors":"Sofia Koutzoukis,&nbsp;Thomas A. Monaco,&nbsp;Kari E. Veblen","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70396","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70396","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microsites beneath shrub canopies in dryland landscapes characterized by a mosaic of bare ground and patchy vegetation are often considered critical for the establishment of understory species. “Shrub islands” can create more favorable environmental conditions for both early plant establishment and longer term persistence near the shrub canopy relative to the interspace area between shrubs. However, the degree to which favorable conditions cluster around canopies and whether specific environmental attributes remain beneficial at intermediate distances between the canopy maximum and interspace microsites is understudied. If environmental attributes do not strongly cluster around shrub canopies, the interspace region beyond canopies may provide at least partially favorable conditions for establishment or persistence of understory plants. We hypothesized that favorable aboveground environmental attributes would more tightly cluster around sagebrush canopies than would favorable belowground attributes. At four sites across the Intermountain West, USA we sampled aboveground (i.e., solar radiation and vapor pressure deficit) and belowground (i.e., soil organic matter, moisture content, potassium, phosphorus) attributes at four microsites associated with big sagebrush (<i>Artemisia tridentata</i> Nutt.): canopy edge, maximum interspace distance between neighboring sagebrush canopy edges, and two intermediate distances between these extremes (25% and 50% of the intervening distance). Despite high site-to-site variation of all attributes, solar radiation (aboveground attribute) and soil potassium (belowground attribute) levels generally changed abruptly between the canopy and nearest (25%) interspace microsite, indicative of clustering around the canopy. Interspace levels for the belowground soil attributes, organic matter and soil moisture, as well as the above-ground attribute vapor pressure deficit, tended to change more gradually with distance from canopy, whereas phosphorus did not differ significantly across microsites. Overall, our results reveal that some elements of the favorable shrub canopy microenvironment are concentrated near the canopy, whereas levels of other attributes attenuate more gradually with distance from canopy. Together these results suggest that moving beyond a “canopy versus interspace” dichotomy and independently considering the spatial distributions of different attributes could improve our understanding of shrub island dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70396","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145101058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services and economics in dryland cover crop systems","authors":"Lisa Eash,&nbsp;Kathleen Russell,&nbsp;Abdel F. Berrada,&nbsp;Meagan E. Schipanski,&nbsp;Pankaj Trivedi,&nbsp;Daniel Mooney,&nbsp;Jenny Beiermann,&nbsp;Joe Brummer,&nbsp;Steven J. Fonte","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70397","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70397","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Replacing bare fallow periods with cover crops in dryland agroecosystems can help reverse soil degradation and control erosion but may also result in cash crop yield penalties due to water limitations. Two field trials were conducted on the Colorado Plateau to quantify the impact of cover cropping on crop production, multiple ecosystem services, and economic trade-offs in this semiarid region. No-till and different cover crop planting windows (fall and spring) were explored as strategies to optimize ecosystem service provision and productivity trade-offs. After three full cover crop cycles (6 years), fall-planted cover crops improved soil structure and erosion control, offering critical soil health benefits for dryland producers. However, these benefits were associated with a decrease in available soil moisture at planting, causing lower and more variable wheat yields (average 48% yield penalty) and a US$176 ha⁻¹ cycle⁻¹ average decrease in net returns. Including the hypothetical sale of forage (based on 50% cover crop biomass removal) more than offset these costs in fall-planted treatments; with both forage and wheat revenue, cover cropping increased net returns as compared to the fallow control by US$92 ha⁻¹ cycle⁻¹. Spring-planted cover crops presented a lower productivity trade-off (24% average wheat yield penalty) but did not provide clear ecosystem service benefits and did not produce enough biomass to offset costs of cover cropping. Our findings indicate that fall-planted cover crops have the potential to reverse soil degradation and control erosion in dryland systems globally, but productivity trade-offs and decreased economic returns must be compensated for by alternative revenue sources, conservation payments, or other incentives to ensure their feasibility.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70397","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145062629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early fawn-rearing habitat of mule deer in an agricultural landscape","authors":"R. A. Hellesto,&nbsp;L. A. Shipley,&nbsp;K. Huggler,&nbsp;M. DeVivo,&nbsp;P. E. Bennett","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70403","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70403","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Survival from birth to recruitment into the adult population can greatly influence population dynamics of wild ungulates like mule deer. Fawn survival can respond to the quality of both food and cover, which can be modified by land-use practices, including agriculture and restoration of agricultural fields through the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). We examined habitat features that influenced (1) fawn-rearing habitat by maternal females (e.g., 3 days before to 3 weeks after parturition), and (2) bed-site selection by mule deer fawns within a nearly 6000-km² agricultural landscape dominated by winter wheat in southeastern Washington, USA. We estimated the parturition date of 57 maternal females from fawn searches and a machine-learning parturition model. We used the females' GPS location during early fawn rearing to create a Resource Selection Function, and land cover measurements of bed sites for 47 fawns between 0 and 12 days old. Within their summer home ranges, maternal females selected shrubs and trees, vegetation types that provided more vertical structure, followed by grassland, with agricultural land cover, especially fallow, as the lowest ranked land cover type. Intact (i.e., never plowed) shrubland and grassland were higher ranked than were shrublands and grasslands restored through CRP. Likewise, fawns selected bed sites with greater overhead canopy cover and horizontal cover, especially when provided by woody shrubs and trees. Although 27% of bed sites were in growing wheat, agriculture was the lowest ranked land cover type in terms of selection. Our research suggests that populations of mule deer in landscapes dominated by cereal grain agriculture would benefit by (1) increasing the prevalence of quality shrubs and trees where possible to improve cover for neonates, and (2) supporting cropland restoration programs like CRP.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70403","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145062631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increasing fruiting synchrony at the community level in an Afromontane tropical forest","authors":"Phillip J. Dugger,&nbsp;Norbert J. Cordeiro,&nbsp;Felix Mulindahabi,&nbsp;Mediatrice Bana,&nbsp;Beth A. Kaplin","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70409","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70409","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Changes in community-level patterns of fruit production can affect resource availability for frugivores, causing cascading effects in forest ecosystems. However, few studies have assessed changes in community patterns of fruit production on timescales sufficient to capture variation in tropical forests. As different tree species respond idiosyncratically to changes in environmental cues, synchronicity or complementarity (overlap or non-overlap) in fruit production among species may shift, with important consequences for the reliability of fruit resources. Such community-level changes may be context-specific; for example, different successional guilds of trees (e.g., pioneers, non-pioneer light demanders, and shade-tolerant species) are adapted to different environmental conditions and likely have unique responses to environmental cues. We examine a 24-year dataset of fruit production in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, a tropical montane forest, to assess changes in complementarity and synchrony of fruit production and differences in phenological patterns among three successional guilds of trees: pioneers, non-pioneer light demanders (NPLD), and shade-tolerant (ST). We used generalized additive models to assess nonlinear temporal trends and elevational influences and Bayesian model selection to assess climate predictors of the observed phenological patterns. Pioneer species fruited more synchronously and with more variation than late-successional NPLD and ST species. All guilds increased in synchrony from 2015 to 2019 and higher synchrony coincided with greater fruit production, suggesting that species respond to similar environmental cues for higher fruit production. Synchrony increased with elevation for NPLD, while for pioneers, synchrony was highest at the mid-to-high elevations. Irradiance was positively related to complementarity and inversely related to fruit production. These findings show that differences between functional groups and species in fruiting synchrony or complementarity may decrease when species respond similarly to environmental cues, such as changing irradiance levels. Such changes in community patterns of fruit production could have consequences for frugivore resource availability, plant species coexistence, and long-term community stability and biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70409","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145062630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Out of sight, out of mind: Fine-scale measurements reveal microclimate heterogeneity for plethodontid salamanders","authors":"J. M. Carroll,&nbsp;R. L. Carroll","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70401","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70401","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Small-bodied species comprise the bulk of global biodiversity, yet the environmental conditions to which they are exposed are poorly understood. The resulting knowledge gap is notable for ectothermic plethodontid (Family Plethodontidae) salamanders that are highly sensitive to fine-scale microclimate (i.e., thermal and hydric) variation. Consequently, quantifying and mapping microclimate patterns is critically important to understanding the future persistence of plethodontids. The objectives of this research were to (1) characterize thermal heterogeneity at plethodontid-relevant scales, (2) assess factors influencing microclimate structure along stream-forest ecotones, and (3) compare salamander body surface temperatures with those in their surroundings. Accordingly, we incorporated the collection of thermal (i.e., ~500 infrared thermographic images), hydric (i.e., percent soil moisture), and habitat (e.g., canopy cover) data with salamander surveys at ground surface and subsurface retreat (i.e., rock, wood) microhabitats in 2023 and 2024. Our use of infrared thermography (IRT) offered a novel perspective on the full range of thermal mosaics occurring in plethodontid microhabitats that would likely be missed by traditional approaches (i.e., deployment of one datalogger per microhabitat). Specifically, we observed that the thermal landscape was highly heterogeneous (range: 8.19–45.36°C) across all sampled microhabitats and spatiotemporally dynamic. Retreats were 5°C cooler on average (by up to ~10°C on average) than the ground surface, yet even within a given wood or rock retreat, temperature measurements varied by up to 9.64 and 8.69°C, respectively. Within the thermally heterogeneous landscape, individual salamander body surface temperatures closely matched average retreat temperatures (<i>R</i>² = 0.93) and were relatively consistent within and between sampling rounds/years. While average retreat temperatures were comparatively similar along the stream-forest gradient, average soil moisture was greatest (&gt;9%) at 1 m and least (&lt;4.5%) at 100 m. Ultimately, we found that stream-forest ecotone landscapes exhibited remarkably complex microclimate structure characterized by retreats that were decoupled from conditions occurring just a few centimeters above at the ground surface. By challenging previous assertions that temperatures under a given rock or log are relatively homogeneous, these findings are instructive for assessing the accuracy of models aimed at predicting future plethodontid persistence.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70401","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145012914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variable zone of influence responses by large mammals: Implications for conservation planning","authors":"Meghan M. Beale,&nbsp;Aliah Adams Knopff,&nbsp;Jennifer M. Foca,&nbsp;Kyle H. Knopff,&nbsp;Lanny Amos,&nbsp;Warn Franklin","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70393","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70393","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anthropogenic development affects the behavior and distribution of species both by removing and altering habitat in the development footprint and through adjacency effects within a zone of influence (ZOI) around development. Accurate estimates of ZOI are needed to understand and mitigate impacts from human development, but quantitative estimates of ZOI are rare, and most studies that develop them do so only for a single species. We developed an approach to estimate seasonal ZOI for multiple species using remote camera data. Seasonal habitat models formed the basis of the approach that we applied to four large mammals in the Elk Valley, British Columbia, Canada: bighorn sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis</i>), elk (<i>Cervus canadensis</i>), moose (<i>Alces alces</i>), and grizzly bears (<i>Ursus arctos</i>). We estimated the ZOI from open-pit metallurgical coal mines for each species by forcing a categorical distance to mine variable into the top habitat model in each season. Our multispecies approach identified diverse ZOI responses to mining, ranging from strongly positive for bighorn sheep and elk to somewhat negative for grizzly bears and strongly negative for moose, with some seasonal variation. Our results highlight important conservation implications of estimating ZOI for multiple species. Species that exhibit positive ZOI may benefit from targeted on-site reclamation efforts. Conversely, those that exhibit negative ZOI may benefit from mitigation strategies that address the underlying mechanisms driving the negative response, aiming to minimize ZOI. Additionally, implementing actions to offset adverse impacts could further enhance the overall outcome. Mixed mitigation strategies are more complex to implement but may be needed to prevent ongoing declines in global wildlife populations as governments and industry work toward recent nature-positive commitments for our planet.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70393","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesizing the ecological impacts of disturbance on wildlife in pinyon-juniper ecosystems","authors":"Sarah Halperin,&nbsp;Madelon F. Case,&nbsp;Peter S. Coates,&nbsp;Todd E. Katzner,&nbsp;Susan K. McIlroy,&nbsp;Megan M. McLachlan,&nbsp;Devyn A. Orr,&nbsp;Cali L. Weise,&nbsp;Douglas J. Shinneman","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70387","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70387","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pinyon and juniper ecosystems in the interior western United States are undergoing changes due to wildfire, drought, climate change, and associated disturbance agents (e.g., insect outbreak), while also infilling within some existing woodlands and expanding into other ecosystems (e.g., sagebrush). These multiple, often interacting disturbances are likely affecting wildlife, including species of conservation concern. However, study findings have been highly varied, conflicting, or constrained by data availability. We performed a systematic literature review to provide an overview of wildlife responses to disturbance in pinyon-juniper (PJ) ecosystems, identifying and cataloguing published literature based on geography, study type, primary research focus, ecological characteristics, and response type. We then applied a narrative approach to synthesize the current knowledge from the included studies to identify important knowledge gaps and to identify future research priorities. Our findings highlight the complexity and variability in wildlife responses to disturbance. Drought, insect outbreak, and wildfire impact PJ-associated wildlife in multifaceted ways, with species responses differing based on habitat type and species-specific traits. We also identify notable gaps in the research literature, due in part to taxonomic biases (limiting exploration of the diversity of PJ ecosystems and associated taxa), a lack of data on long-term and interacting disturbance effects (particularly under experimental conditions), and a limited understanding of direct mechanisms driving wildlife responses. Filling these research gaps and monitoring wildlife in PJ ecosystems can inform long-term management and improve the resiliency of wildlife communities in these important ecological systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70387","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145012372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns of richness in a long-term citizen science butterfly dataset from Cuyahoga Valley National Park","authors":"Thomas P. Franzem,&nbsp;Leo Kuck,&nbsp;Jerome Wiedmann,&nbsp;Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez,&nbsp;Christie A. Bahlai","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70400","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70400","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Insect populations are experiencing ongoing declines in abundance and diversity, but their dynamics are often complex and trends are difficult to identify. Butterflies are an important, convenient, and useful insect group to monitor. They are a well-recorded group of insects and play important ecological roles as both pollinators and herbivores, and there is a large community of amateur lepidopterists that contribute to citizen science butterfly monitoring programs. In the present study, we analyzed 27 years of citizen science butterfly monitoring data collected across four sites in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. We aimed to investigate patterns of species richness and abundance across years and sites and elucidate potential climatic variables that influence the butterfly community. We found similar levels of estimated butterfly species richness at three sites, yet one site had noticeably higher estimated species richness. Abundance fluctuated annually and was relatively consistent across sites. Further, we found that the butterfly communities changed directionally over time across all sites. Additionally, we identified degree days and average daily precipitation as drivers of butterfly community variability. Overall, this work identified patterns of richness and abundance in a unique national park and identified potential climatic drivers of butterfly community variability.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70400","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate, topography, or fuels? Top-down versus bottom-up controls on fire refugia across British Columbia, Canada","authors":"Christine E. Kuntzemann,&nbsp;Ellen Whitman,&nbsp;Doug Lewis,&nbsp;Diana Stralberg","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70385","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecs2.70385","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Surviving pockets of vegetation within fire perimeters, termed fire refugia, are an important component of ecological recovery following disturbance. Understanding the relative influence of the drivers of fire refugia throughout diverse landscapes and climate conditions can help identify areas that are conducive to their formation. We investigated the role of various top-down (climate) and bottom-up (fuels, physical setting) controls on fire refugia creation throughout 21 unique fire regime units in the forests of British Columbia, Canada, over a 20-year (2000–2019) period. Boosted regression tree models were used to determine the relative influence of each of these controls and their associated variables on fire refugia, as well as to create predictive maps of fire refugia probabilities over a range of annual climate conditions. We found that the bottom-up controls, particularly variables relating to physical setting, generally held the greatest influence on fire refugia creation, though those relating to fuels were of higher importance in the more disturbance-prone forests of the boreal and central interior regions. These bottom-up controls, however, can be overwhelmed by extreme climate conditions, which have variable effects on refugia depending on the region. There was an overall positive correspondence between locations of persistent (long-term) fire refugia and mapped old-growth, suggesting that strong, static terrain features may shelter some forests over the course of multiple fire events, allowing for the development of old-growth stands. We concluded that, while strong topographic features confer the strongest measure of protection in some regions of the province, there are many areas in which fuel mitigation tactics (e.g., fuel thinning, prescribed and cultural burning) may be particularly useful for protecting areas of high human or ecological value in the face of increasingly extreme climate conditions. Although our maps can help predict where and when fire refugia may form under provided climatic and environmental conditions, they do not reflect real-time conditions and are therefore not intended for risk assessment or for operational management.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70385","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144998915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}