Effects of repeated fire on Florida oak-saw palmetto scrub

Abstract

Abstract Background The dominant species of Florida oak-saw palmetto scrub sprout after burning from belowground rhizomes or fire-resistant aboveground buds with rapid reestablishment of cover. Responses to single fires are well documented; however, responses to repeated fires may differ. Fire return intervals, differences among sites, and species may influence responses. We used transect data from four sites on Kennedy Space Center/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to test whether growth differed through repeated fires. Two sites burned five times in 36 years, one site burned five times in 25 years, and one burned four times in 18 years. We used linear mixed models that account for repeated measures to determine if the number of fires affected height, total cover ≥ 0.5 m and < 0.5 m, bare ground, and cover of the dominant oak (Quercus) ≥ 0.5 m and of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) ≥ 0.5 m. We compared community composition through repeated fires using nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination. Results Height, total cover ≥ 0.5 m, and cover of the dominant oak ≥ 0.5 m and of saw palmetto ≥ 0.5 m increased with time since burn; total cover < 0.5 m and bare ground decreased. A quadratic term in the growth model was significant except for total cover < 0.5 m. There were site differences for all variables except bare ground. The number of fires decreased height, total cover ≥ 0.5 m, and cover of the dominant oak ≥ 0.5 and increased total cover < 0.5 m and bare ground but had no effect on cover of Serenoa repens ≥ 0.5 m. Community changes after repeated fires were similar in nonmetric multidimensional ordinations with time since burn correlated to the first or second axis. Conclusions Scrub recovered from repeated fires at a range of intervals and seasons, but short return intervals reduced growth with responses differing among species.