I think that is an appropriate usage of terms. The persistence of the assemblage can be dependent on fire, and how the individuals respond to fire is based on their adaptation strategy. Some plants are adapted to frequent fire, and have thick bark, lush needles, or are relatively self-pruning. Others are adapted to stand replacing fire, through fast growth on bare mineral soil or long-lasting seed that sprouts following heat and exposure to direct sunlight.
The ecosystem could be dependent on fire for maintenance at the climax stage, such as a Longleaf Pine forest, or for replacement of a late seral stage by an early one of the same type, such as Atlantic White Cedar. Either way, in the absence of fire, the plant community changes composition, structure, and structure. In the case of the Longleaf Pine forest, wiregrass understory succeeds to shrubs, shade tolerant grasses, and then to hardwood such as turkey oak. In the case of peatland Atlantic White Cedar, red-maple/swamp tupelo is a frequent late-successional community. Both paths of succession lead to plant communities that are less fire dependent and tend to burn only in extreme situations, and then burn in a stand-replacement fashion. -- Andrew D. Bailey - Data Manager Wildland Fire Management RD&A Rocky Mountain Research Station - DOI OWF National Interagency Fire Center, Boise ID o. 208-387-5248 c. 208-407-6711 On Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 12:38 PM, David L. McNeely <mcnee...@cox.net> wrote: > Wayne, I may be behind in the way terminology for fire and ecosystems is > used. But, I do hear people speak of fire dependent systems. I also hear > people speak of fire adapted organisms. The usage makes sense to me. > Organisms exhibit adaptations, and for example, trees with serotinous > cones and or thick bark are fire adapted. The system they contribute to > will succeed to some other sere if not visited by fire, but will be more > nearly sustained with its mix of fire adapted species with periodic fires. > > Is this correct? It is how I understand the situation. > > David McNeely > > ---- Wayne Tyson <landr...@cox.net> wrote: > > "The Lake States Fire Science Consortium (LSFSC), funded by the Joint > Fire > > Science Program (JFSP), is a network of fire managers and scientists > > interested in the fire-dependent ecosystems . . . " > > > > Fire DEPENDENT ecosystems? Or fire-adapted? > > > > I'd like to hear comments from all ecologists (and evolutionary > biologists) > > about this distinction. > > > > WT > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Corace, Greg" <greg_cor...@fws.gov> > > To: <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > > Sent: Monday, September 16, 2013 5:02 AM > > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Fire and Wildlife in the Northern Lake States > > > > > > > The Lake States Fire Science Consortium (LSFSC), funded by the Joint > Fire > > > Science Program (JFSP), is a network of fire managers and scientists > > > interested in the fire-dependent ecosystems of the northern Lake States > > > region (http://www.lakestatesfiresci.net/). To enhance our existing > > > understanding of disturbances, vegetation, and wildlife and the > > > integration > > > of this knowledge into the management of northern Lake States > ecosystems, > > > we are initiating an information exchange whereby we will: > > > > > > 1) improve our publically accessible wildlife-fire literature citation > > > database1,2 by seeking input from wildlife professionals who might > > > identify > > > missed information, especially theses and dissertations; > > > > > > 2) evaluate state *Wildlife Action Plans* and other documents as > > > appropriate and consult with state-level experts to identify wildlife > > > (vertebrate species primarily) with high affinity for fire-dependent > > > ecosystem types of particular interest to the LSFSC (i.e., not > generalist > > > species); > > > > > > 3) identify individuals and organizations across the northern portions > of > > > Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario that are conducting related > > > inventory, monitoring, research and management and communicate this > > > information with other interested parties; > > > > > > 4) promote information exchange related to the above at one or more > > > professional events (webinar and/or conference and/or field trips); and > > > > > > 5) use all the above to draft a research needs statement that will be > > > presented to JFSP through the LSFSC. > > > > > > WE REQUEST YOUR ASSISTANCE by: > > > > > > 1) contributing citations of academic theses/dissertations and grey > > > (i.e., > > > agency) publications related to fire in northern (primarily forested) > Lake > > > States ecosystems; > > > > > > 2) identifying individuals and organizations described under #3, > above; > > > and > > > > > > 3) forwarding this email to other interested parties. > > > > > > For more information on the project or to subscribe to our email list, > > > please contact Dr. Greg Corace (Seney NWR; greg_cor...@fws.gov). > > > > > > For more information on our existing literature database and/or to > > > contribute additional citations, please contact Dr. Jessica Miesel ( > > > miese...@msu.edu). > > > > > > 1 http://lakestatesfiresci.net/referencesearch.htm > > > > > > 2 http://www.lakestatesfiresci.net/uwm_spring2012.htm > > > Apologies for cross postings. > > > > > > -- > > > R. Gregory Corace III, Ph.D. > > > Applied Sciences Program > > > Seney National Wildlife Refuge > > > 1674 Refuge Entrance Rd. > > > Seney, MI 49883 > > > Phone: (906) 586.9851 ext. 14 > > > Fax: (906) 586.3800 > > > Website: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/seney/ > > -- > David McNeely >
