Stochastic Species Turnover and Stable Coexistence in a Fire-Prone Plant Community
Author Information
Author(s): Wilfried Thuiller, Jasper A. Slingsby, Sean D. J. Privett, Richard M. Cowling
Primary Institution: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS-UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France
Hypothesis
Stochastic variability in fire regimes and post-fire weather conditions would promote coexistence in fynbos communities at local as well as at larger (metacommunity) scales via a temporal storage effect.
Conclusion
Stochastic environmental fluctuations associated with recurrent fire buffer populations from extinction, ensuring stable coexistence at the meta-community scale.
Supporting Evidence
- Species presence and abundance were stable at the meta-community scale over the 30 year period.
- High turnover at the local scale was observed, with 74% of sites experiencing more than 50% turnover.
- Alpha diversity remained stable despite high turnover at the site scale.
Takeaway
This study shows that even though many plant species come and go in a fire-prone area, the overall number of species stays stable over time because of the way fires affect them.
Methodology
The study used a long-term dataset from 81 monitoring sites sampled in 1966 and again in 1996, analyzing species presence, abundance, and turnover.
Potential Biases
Potential biases from the sampling method and the ecological characteristics of the study area.
Limitations
The study may not account for all ecological variables influencing species coexistence and turnover.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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