Abstract
In recent years, the use of postfire mulch treatments to stabilize slopes and reduce soil erosion in shrubland ecosystems has increased; however, the potential effects on plant recovery have not been examined. To evaluate the effects of mulching treatments on postfire plant recovery in southern California coastal sage scrub, we conducted a field experiment with three experimental treatments, consisting of two hydromulch products and an erosion control blanket, plus a control treatment. The area burned in 2007, and treatments were applied to six plot blocks before the 2008 growing season. Treatment effects on plant community recovery were analyzed with a mixed effects ANOVA analysis using a univariate repeated measures approach. Absolute plant cover increased from 13 to 90% by the end of the second growing season, and the mean relative cover of exotic species was 32%. The two hydromulch treatments had no effect on any plant community recovery response variable measured. For the erosion control blanket treatment, the amount of bare ground cover at the end of the second growing season was significantly lower (P = 0.01), and greater shrub height was observed (P < 0.01). We conclude that postfire mulch treatments did not provide either a major benefit or negative impact to coastal sage scrub recovery on the study area.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Shea O’Keefe at the NRCS Escondido Field Office for support. Alexandra Campbell, Christa Horn, Matt Kedziora, and Katie Merrill all assisted with field data collection. Dr. Lisa Nordstrom and Dr. Douglas Deutschman provided guidance during data analysis. Dr. Edith Allen and two anonymous reviewers read previous versions of this manuscript, which enabled us to make significant improvements. We also thank HydroSprout, Inc. for hydromulch application and the Sefton Summer Fellowship for position support. This project was funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the San Diego Zoo Global.
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McCullough, S.A., Endress, B.A. Do Postfire Mulching Treatments Affect Plant Community Recovery in California Coastal Sage Scrub Lands?. Environmental Management 49, 142–150 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9777-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9777-2