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Interactions between repeated fire, nutrients, and insect herbivores affect the recovery of diversity in the southern Amazon

  • Community ecology - Original research
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Abstract

Surface fires burn extensive areas of tropical forests each year, altering resource availability, biotic interactions, and, ultimately, plant diversity. In transitional forest between the Brazilian cerrado (savanna) and high stature Amazon forest, we took advantage of a long-term fire experiment to establish a factorial study of the interactions between fire, nutrient availability, and herbivory on early plant regeneration. Overall, five annual burns reduced the number and diversity of regenerating stems. Community composition changed substantially after repeated fires, and species common in the cerrado became more abundant. The number of recruits and their diversity were reduced in the burned area, but burned plots closed to herbivores with nitrogen additions had a 14 % increase in recruitment. Diversity of recruits also increased up to 50 % in burned plots when nitrogen was added. Phosphorus additions were related to an increase in species evenness in burned plots open to herbivores. Herbivory reduced seedling survival overall and increased diversity in burned plots when nutrients were added. This last result supports our hypothesis that positive relationships between herbivore presence and diversity would be strongest in treatments that favor herbivory—in this case herbivory was higher in burned plots which were initially lower in diversity. Regenerating seedlings in less diverse plots were likely more apparent to herbivores, enabling increased herbivory and a stronger signal of negative density dependence. In contrast, herbivores generally decreased diversity in more species rich unburned plots. Although this study documents complex interactions between repeated burns, nutrients, and herbivory, it is clear that fire initiates a shift in the factors that are most important in determining the diversity and number of recruits. This change may have long-lasting effects as the forest progresses through succession.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia for providing excellent logistical and field support. Thanks especially to the field technicians who assisted with this work. Thank you also to Liza Comita and Jens Schumacher for insightful comments and advice on the statistical analyses. All work was done in compliance with Brazilian laws.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Tara Joy Massad

    Present address: Program on the Global Environment, University of Chicago 5828 S. University Ave, Pick Hall 117, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

  2. Jennifer K. Balch

    Present address: Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany

    Tara Joy Massad & Susan E. Trumbore

  2. National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA

    Jennifer K. Balch

  3. The Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA, 02540, USA

    Eric A. Davidson

  4. Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, SHIN CA-5, Lote J-2, Bloco J-2, Salas 304-309, Brasília, DF, 71503-505, Brazil

    Paulo M. Brando

  5. Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasilia, Brazil

    Cândida Lahís Mews

  6. Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, 78690-000, Brazil

    Pábio Porto & Ben Hur Marimon Junior

  7. Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, Rua Horizontina 106, Canarana, MT, 78640-000, Brazil

    Raimundo Mota Quintino

  8. Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais, State University at Campinas, Rua dos Flamboyants, 155-Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, 13083-867, Brazil

    Simone A. Vieira

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  1. Tara Joy Massad
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Correspondence to Tara Joy Massad.

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Communicated by Peter Clarke.

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Massad, T.J., Balch, J.K., Davidson, E.A. et al. Interactions between repeated fire, nutrients, and insect herbivores affect the recovery of diversity in the southern Amazon. Oecologia 172, 219–229 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-012-2482-x

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