Fire frequency, agricultural history and the multivariate control of pine savanna understorey plant diversity

QuestionHuman-altered disturbance regimes and agricultural land uses are broadly associated with reduced plant species diversity in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we seek to understand how fire frequency and agricultural land-use history influence savanna understorey plant diversity through complex relationships (i.e. indirect effects) among multiple biophysical variables. LocationFort Bragg, NC, US, Savannah River Site, SC, US and Fort Stewart, GA, US. MethodsWe use structural equation modelling (SEM) to evaluate the relationships among six groups of predictor variables and their influence on local-scale species richness in pine savannas at 256 sites from three locations in the southeastern USA. In the model, fire frequency and agricultural history are hypothesized to control richness through a combination of direct effects, and indirect effects mediated by resource availability, tree abundance, understorey plant abundance and the O horizon (litter and duff depth). ResultsFrequent fires promote richness by limiting tree abundance, which increases understorey abundance and reduces the O horizon. Frequent fires also limit the O horizon independent of tree abundance. Of the total positive effect of fire on richness, 70% is attributable to reductions in the O horizon and 30% to reduced tree abundance. Agricultural history has a negative effect on richness through a positive correlation with tree abundance, which decreases understorey abundance and increases the O horizon. Agricultural history has a modest negative effect on richness by reducing resource availability as well as a strong direct negative effect (38% of the total effect) that is unrelated to other modelled variables. ConclusionsThrough a multivariate framework and large-scale data set, this study unites and tests our understanding of the factors that control plant species diversity in a fire-dependent ecosystem. We show that the effects of fire frequency and agricultural history on richness are largely mediated through other ecosystem attributes, including vegetation structure (i.e. tree and understorey abundance), resource availability and the O horizon. Persistent, negative effects of agricultural history demonstrate the slow rates of savanna plant community recovery on post-agricultural land and highlight the conservation value of frequently burned savanna remnants.