Resumen

VERZINO, Graciela et al. Impact of fires on plant diversity, sierras of Córdoba, Argentina. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2005, vol.4, n.1-2, pp.25-34. ISSN 1726-2216.

Although it is well known that forest fires exert a negative impact upon forests in the Sierras de Córdoba, there is a lack of information regarding impact quantification which could help to assess the effect of fires on plant composition, structure and diversity. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of forest fires on plant composition, structure and diversity in the Bosque Serrano, Córdoba province. The study area was located on the west hillside of the Sierras Chicas, Córdoba. Three forests which had burned at different times were selected, adjacent to non-burned controls, using a group of experiments designed with 4 replicates. Adult trees and shrubs were measured, as well as regeneration, cover distribution and litter thickness. Although adult trees richness was not modified by fires, shrubs richness was substantially reduced even nine years after the event and herbs richness grew immediately after the fire but afterwards leveled with the control forest. The forests vertical structure was completely disturbed due to the dramatic reduction of the arboreal stratum. Abundance in the trees and shrubs regeneration, as well as diversity, were significantly lower in burned sites. These results allow us to quantify the degree of biodiversity and structure alteration in the Bosque Serrano due to forest fires, which remains even nine years after the event.

Palabras clave : forest fires; biodiversity; regeneration; Chaco Serrano; plant composition; structure.

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