Responses of chaparral and oak woodland plant communities to fuel-reduction thinning in southwestern Oregon
Published source details Perchemlides K.A., Muir P.S. & Hosten P.E. (2008) Responses of chaparral and oak woodland plant communities to fuel-reduction thinning in southwestern Oregon. Rangeland Ecology & Management (previously Journal of Range Management 1948-2004), 61, 98-109.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
| Action | Category | |
|---|---|---|
Thin trees within forests: effects on mature trees Action Link |  | |
Thin trees within forests: effects on understory plants Action Link | |
Thin trees within forests: effects on mature trees
A replicated, paired sites study in 2005 in Mediterranean type woodland in Oregon, USA (Perchemlides, Muir & Hosten 2008) found that thinning decreased woody canopy cover. Cover of trees and shrubs >0.3 m tall was higher in unthinned (97%) than thinned (25%) transects. Data was collected in 2005 using 30 pairs of thinned (for fuel reduction between May 1998 and June 2001) and unthinned transects (50 m). Tree cover was measured in five plots (3 m2) along each transect.
Thin trees within forests: effects on understory plants
A replicated, paired sites study in 2005 in Mediterranean type woodland in Oregon, USA (Perchemlides, Muir & Hosten 2008) found that thinning trees increased the cover of herbs and the number of regenerating shrubs. Cover of herbs (thinned: 103%; unthinned: 69%) and number of the shrubs sticky whiteleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos viscida and buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus regenerations/transect (thinned: 1.7; unthinned: 0.3) were higher in thinned transects. Plant species richness/transect (thinned: 29; unthinned: 28) and diversity (Shannon's index thinned: 2.3; unthinned: 2.4), as well as number of regenerations/transect of oak Quercus spp. (thinned: 1.7; unthinned: 2.1) and conifer (thinned: <0.1; unthinned: <0.1) were similar in thinned and unthinned transects. Data was collected in 2005 using 30 pairs of thinned (thinned for fuel reduction between May 1998 and June 2001) and unthinned transects (50 m). Shrub cover was measured in five plots (3 m2) along each transect. Cover of herbs was measured in two quadrats (1000 cm2) within each plot.
