Short-term response of old-field plant communities to fire and disturbance
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
American Midland Naturalist
Publication Date
1993
Volume
129
Issue
2
First Page
409
Last Page
413
Publisher
University of Notre Dame * Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract
We examined the mechanisms that cause short-term changes in old-field plant communities in the 1st yr following two different disturbances: tilling and burning. In particular, we wanted to determine whether short-term changes in plant community structure following disturbance were more strongly influenced by interspecific differences in growth rates or interspecific differences in germination and establishment ability. Because the density of annual plants varied more across treatments than plant size, we concluded that differences in germination and establishment were important causes of community change in the 1st yr following disturbance. Thus, a more detailed mechanistic understanding of the factors influencing germination and establishment will be necessary to understand community patterns in this old-field system.
Print ISSN
00030031
E-ISSN
19384238
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 1993 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
McGinley, M. A., & Tilman, D. (1993). Short-term response of old-field plant communities to fire and disturbance. American Midland Naturalist, 129(2), 409-413. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2426523