Fire impact on the woody plant components of dry deciduous forest in C entral M enabe, M adagascar

• Published in: Applied vegetation science 2013-10, Vol.16 (4), p.619-628
• Main Authors: Ehrensperger, Tabea, Urech, Zora Lea, Rehnus, Maik, Sorg, Jean‐Pierre
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1402-2001; 1654-109X
• DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12034

Questions We investigated the effects of human-induced fires on woody plant components of dry deciduous forest in Madagascar. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: (1) which forest layers are most affected by fire; (2) how is forest structure, species richness, diversity and composition affected by fire disturbance; and (3) does the forest recover after fire disturbance? Location Kirindy Forest in Central Menabe, western Madagascar. Methods We conducted our investigations in seven areas of the Kirindy Forest, which was burned between 1984 and 2009. Vegetation data were collected in nested plots for the different forest layers in the burned and unburned forest. Using GLM , we assessed fire impact on forest structure, species richness and diversity of the different forest layers. The recovery of burned forest was investigated using correlation analysis. In addition, we used descriptive methods to analyse fire impact on species composition. Results Fire mainly influenced the middle forest layers, trees >1.50-m high and diameters