The Effects Of Fire On The Life History Traits Of Tallgrass Prairie Forbs

118 Pages·2001·3.579 MB·English

by  Bradley D. Elder

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THE EFFECTS OF FIRE ON THE
LIFE HISTORY TRAITS OF TALLGRASS PRAIRIE FORBS
By
BRADLEY D. ELDER
A DISSERTATION
Submitted in fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Division of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Manhattan, Kansas
2001
Approved by:
Major Professor
DR. DAVID HARTNETT
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UMI Number: 3013096
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ABSTRACT
The effect of fire frequency, fire season, and fire temperature on tallgrass prairie
plants were studied in three separate but related studies. First, I examined the effect of
fire on the life history traits of five species of tallgrass prairie forbs (Baptisia bracteata,
Oenothera speciosa, Vemonia baldwinii, Salvia azurea, and Solidago missouriensis).
The forbs studied here did not exhibit a positive response to any one particular bum
frequency, while four of the five did respond positively to summer burning. There were
only two underlying similarities among these five species of forbs, a lack of a relationship
between percent cover data and sexual reproductive effort and all five forbs behave like
satellite species, becoming temporarily locally absent at least once during the last 18 years.
Neither fire frequency or fire season produced an overriding influence on plant growth
and reproduction.
In the second study, I examined what role fire frequency and fire temperature play
in altering rhizome development and depth distribution. Rhizome depth was found to be
greatest on infrequently burned watersheds. The best predictor of maximum soil
temperature generated by fire was initial soil temperature. Fire frequency did influence
rhizome depth, but the differences in rhizome depth were not directly due to lethal fire
temperatures. Rhizome and tiller density was highest on frequently burned watersheds,
though the probability of tillering was greatest on infrequently burned watersheds.
Finally, I study examined the effects of fire on the tallgrass prairie forb Solidago
canadensis. S. canadensis showed increases in percent cover, genet size, aboveground
biomass, reproductive biomass, flower number and sexual reproductive effort (SRE) in
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response to infrequent burning. Mean rhizome number, length, depth, and mass were all
significantly greater in sites with low fire frequency. Data indicate that this species is
negatively affected by frequent fire, however, sexual reproductive effort was significantly
higher in infrequently burned sites, providing no support for the hypothesis that clonally
herbs in unfavorable sites “escape” poor conditions though increased SRE.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..........................................................................................................vi
Chapter 1. The Effect of Fire Frequency and Fire Season on Five Tallgrass Prairie Forbs.
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................3
METHODS...................................................................................................................................7
RESULTS....................................................................................................................................11
DISCUSSION.............................................................................................................................17
CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................................28
LITERATURE CITED..............................................................................................................30
FIGURE LEGENDS..................................................................................................................35
FIGURES.....................................................................................................................................37
Chapter 2. Fire and Patterns of Rhizome Development and Depth Distribution in the
Tallgrass Prairie.
ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................42
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................44
METHODS.................................................................................................................................48
RESULTS...................................................................................................................................52
DISCUSSION.............................................................................................................................56
CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................................60
LITERATURE CITED..............................................................................................................61
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FIGURE LEGENDS.................................................................................................................65
FIGURES....................................................................................................................................67
Chapter 3. Patterns of Sexual and Vegetative Reproduction in Solidago canadensis
Asteraceae Under Different Fire Frequencies in the Tallgrass Prairie.
ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................72
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................74
METHODS.................................................................................................................................78
RESULTS...................................................................................................................................82
DISCUSSION.............................................................................................................................85
CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................................89
LITERATURE CITED..............................................................................................................90
FIGURE LEGENDS.................................................................................................................93
FIGURES....................................................................................................................................95
CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................................104
ii
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LIST OF FIGURES
Chapter 1.
Figure 1.
Percent cover and life history traits for B. bracteata. Analysis for periodic and
seasonal bums were preformed separately.
Figure 2.
Percent cover and life history traits for O. speciosa. Analysis for periodic and seasonal
bums were preformed separately.
Figure 3.
Percent cover and life history traits for V. baldwinii. Analysis for periodic and
seasonal bums were preformed separately.
Figure 4.
Percent cover and life history traits for S. azurea. Analysis for periodic and seasonal
bums were preformed separately.
Figure 5.
Percent cover and life history traits for 5. missouriensis. Analysis for periodic and
seasonal bums were preformed separately.
Chapter 2.
Figure 1.
Fire frequency effects on rhizome meristems densities. Different letters denote statical
differences (P z 0.05).
iii
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Figure 2.
The average temperature for each depth (0.5 cm, 2.0 cm, and 4.0 cm). Different
letters denote statical differences (P £ 0.05).
Figure 3.
Fires produced a range of responses that were grouped into 4 distinct types.
Figure 4.
Fuel load was not significantly connected with the maximum fire-generated
temperatures in the soil (P = 0.26, R2 0.036).
Figure 5.
The maximum fire generated temperatures in the soil were inversely related to soil
moisture only at the 2.0 cm sampling depth (P = 0.006, R2 = 0.107).
Chapter 3.
Figure 1.
Percent cover of S. canadensis on annually (— ) and 20 (—) year burned
watersheds.
Figure 2.
Life history traits of S. canadensis for different fire frequencies.
Figure 3.
Clone area (m'2) for S. canadensis on annually, 2-yr, 4-yr, 10-yr, and 20-yr.
burned watersheds.
Figure 4.
Percent of observations of S. canadensis in different size classes.
iv
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