Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.4
2.1
Journals
Diversity
Special Issues
Fire-Dependent Ecosystems
share announcement

Fire-Dependent Ecosystems

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 10033

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Brice B. Hanberry

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Rapid City, SD 57702, USA
Interests: fire; land use and land change; wildlife

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on fire disturbance processes in grasslands, temperate savannas and woodlands, and tropical savannas. Surface fire that removes small diameter trees is critical for maintenance of grasslands and also forests with a grasslands layer. Many wildlife species benefit from resources provided by fire-dependent ecosystems. Ecological functioning also is different in open ecosystems compared to closed forests. Although fire was a driving process in historical ecosystems for thousands of years, fire suppression now is a global campaign. Management and restoration of grasslands, savannas, and woodlands has become necessary through options such as prescribed burning, tree thinning, and grazing. Research for this Special Issue may focus on a wide range of topics, including change over time, management and restoration, process and function, and vegetation and wildlife response. Manuscripts may be stand-scale studies, landscape models, conceptual, synthetic, or perspectives.

Dr. Brice B. Hanberry
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Birds
  • Fungi
  • Herbivory
  • Herpetofauna
  • Insects
  • Land use and land cover
  • Mammals
  • Non-native species
  • Open forests
  • Plants
  • Pollinators
  • Prescribed burns
  • Thinning
  • Tree retention

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 1652 KiB  
Communication
Transition from Fire-Dependent Open Forests: Alternative Ecosystem States in the Southeastern United States
by Brice B. Hanberry
Diversity 2021, 13(9), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13090411 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3468
Abstract
Land use and fire exclusion have influenced ecosystems worldwide, resulting in alternative ecosystem states. Here, I provide two examples from the southeastern United States of fire-dependent open pine and pine-oak forest loss and examine dynamics of the replacement forests, given continued long-term declines [...] Read more.
Land use and fire exclusion have influenced ecosystems worldwide, resulting in alternative ecosystem states. Here, I provide two examples from the southeastern United States of fire-dependent open pine and pine-oak forest loss and examine dynamics of the replacement forests, given continued long-term declines in foundation longleaf (Pinus palustris) and shortleaf (Pinus echinata) pines and recent increases in commercial loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) pines. Shortleaf pine-oak forest historically may have been dominant on about 32 to 38 million ha, a provisional estimate based on historical composition of 75% of all trees, and has decreased to about 2.5 million ha currently; shortleaf pine now is 3% of all trees in the northern province. Longleaf pine forest decreased from about 30 million ha, totaling 75% of all trees, to 1.3 million ha and 3% of all trees in contemporary forests of the southern province. The initial transition from open pine ecosystems to closed forests, primarily comprised of broadleaf species, was countered by conversion to loblolly and slash pine plantations. Loblolly pine now accounts for 37% of all trees. Loss of fire-dependent ecosystems and their foundation tree species affect associated biodiversity, or the species that succeed under fire disturbance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire-Dependent Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

41 pages, 12550 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Ecological Need for Prescribed Fire in Michigan Using GIS-Based Multicriteria Decision Analysis: Igniting Fire Gaps
by Joshua G. Cohen, Clay M. Wilton, Helen D. Enander and Tyler J. Bassett
Diversity 2021, 13(3), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13030100 - 24 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5763
Abstract
In fire-suppressed landscapes, managers make difficult decisions about devoting limited resources for prescribed fire. Using GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis, we developed a model assessing ecological need for prescribed fire on Michigan’s state-owned lands, ranging from fire-dependent prairies, savannas, barrens, and oak and pine [...] Read more.
In fire-suppressed landscapes, managers make difficult decisions about devoting limited resources for prescribed fire. Using GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis, we developed a model assessing ecological need for prescribed fire on Michigan’s state-owned lands, ranging from fire-dependent prairies, savannas, barrens, and oak and pine forests to fire-intolerant mesic forests, and including a diversity of wetlands. The model integrates fine-scale field-collected and broad-scale GIS data to identify where prescribed fire needs are greatest. We describe the model’s development and architecture, present results at multiple scales, introduce the concepts of “fire gaps” and “fire sink”, and rate the fire needs of more than 1.8 million hectares into one of six fire needs classes. Statewide, fire needs increase with decreasing latitude. The highest and lowest needs occur in southwestern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, respectively, but actual fire application rates for these regions are inverted. The model suggests burn rates should be increased 2.2 to 13.4 times to burn all lands with greater than high fire needs. The model identifies regional patterns; highlights specific sites; and illustrates the disparity of fire needs and fire application. The modeling framework is broadly applicable to other geographies and efforts to prioritize stewardship of biodiversity at multiple scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire-Dependent Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop