Authors:
Santiago-Garci_a, R.J., S.M. Colo_n, P. Sollins and S.J. Van Bloem (
Publication Date:
2008
Abstract/Summary:
The threat of fire is always a consideration when establishing a forest restoration program. Two wildfires occurred in 2006 and 2007 in an established dry forest restoration project in Puerto Rico. The original goal of the project was to determine differential growth responses of native trees under the nurse tree Leucaena leucocephala versus in open sites. In open sites, sprouting was the most common fire response and mature-forest and evergreen species had greater postfire survival than pioneers and deciduous species. Although nurse trees are typically used to help manage nutrient or light environments in reforestation projects, these trees also appear to provide a secondary benefit of limiting fire damage by reducing fuel load.
Resource Type:
Peer-reviewed Article
Source:
Ambio
Link:
http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1579/0044-7447-37.7.604