4.0 Article

Effect of fire on the germination of spores of Pteridium caudatum, an invasive fern

Journal

JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY
Volume 26, Issue -, Pages 457-465

Publisher

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S0266467410000118

Keywords

bracken spread; burial depth; Mexico; post-fire regeneration strategies; soil heating; soil temperatures; Yucatan Peninsula

Categories

Funding

  1. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) [10006-2006-01]
  2. UNAM-PAPIIT [IN227802-3]

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Pteridium caudatum is a fern that frequently invades burnt areas in the Yucatan Peninsula and other neotropical sites. While post-tire regeneration of this fern apparently occurs mainly by vegetative means, little is known about the role of its spores in post-tire regeneration and in colonization of newly invaded fields. Central to these questions is whether bracken fern spores maintain their viability after fires. Here we experimentally evaluate the effect of tire-induced temperatures on Pteridium caudatum spore germination. We used 1200-cm(3) blocks containing a constant fuel load of 47.4 g of litter, in which we placed spores at three different depths. The blocks were then ignited. and temperatures at each depth were monitored at 1-min intervals for 2 h. One day after the experimental fires, spores were dug out and cultured at 25 degrees C and 1.2-h light/dark cycles. Soil temperatures decreased significantly in relation to depth during tires. Spores on the surface were severely affected by tire, while those buried at 1 and 3 cm showed 77% germination. Germination in unburned controls was 86%. Our results suggest that during tires. Pteridium caudatum spores buried a few centimetres below the surface have a high percentage of viability, which could explain the rapid establishment of this species in burnt fields.

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