The early impact of adjacent clearcutting and forest fire on riparian zone vegetation in northwestern Ontario

• Published in: Forest ecology and management 2003-04, Vol.177 (1), p.529-538
• Main Authors: Lamb, Eric G, Mallik, Azim U, Mackereth, Robert W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Buffer zone; Forest management; Forest management. Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Riparian management; Vegetation response
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00476-0

The distribution and abundance of vascular plant species in riparian communities was compared between three levels of disturbance in the adjacent upland vegetation. Comparisons were made between riparian zone sites that were undisturbed, sites where clearcuts were separated from the riparian zone by a buffer of upland forest, and sites where a forest fire had burned to the riparian zone-upland ecotone. No significant differences in the overall abundance and distribution of species in the riparian vegetation were found between the three disturbance classes, though a small number of species appeared to increase in abundance at burn sites. These results demonstrate that disturbances in the upland forest do not seriously impact the riparian zone plant community, likely because the riparian species are adapted to a high-light environment and flooding disturbance. The environmental factors that change in the riparian zone following removal of the adjacent forest canopy, including light levels, temperature, and wind penetration, do not appear to have a significant influence on the riparian zone vegetation. These results suggest that aspects of the current riparian management guidelines in northwestern Ontario may need to be re-evaluated.