Understanding Species Persistence in Complex Landscapes with a Long Term Metapopulation Study of Rare Flora
Abstract
Management of rare species is limited by an understanding of long-term populationdynamics. We investigated factors affecting population persistence of long-lived plantspecies at Fort Bragg using a 23-year monitoring dataset on 1,396 populations of 41 rarespecies. Across all study species, populations have higher probabilities of persistence ifthey experience more frequent fires, occur under lower canopy cover, are more highlyconnected to other populations, occupy a larger area, or occur in upland habitats. There wassubstantial diversity in species response to fire and canopy cover, necessitating speciesspecific management where adequate knowledge is available and additional detailed studieswhere knowledge is still insufficient to inform management. Fire frequency, canopy cover, andmetapopulation structure, three factors found to influence population persistence, representa continuum of management options in terms of resource investment. Prescribed burning islikely the least costly and would yield the greatest overall benefits. Where tree densityexceeds a level where low-intensity fires can effectively control canopy cover, mechanicalthinning is the second option. Enhancing metapopulation structure by targeted populationreintroduction and augmentation represents the third and most costly management option.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1135444
Entities
People
- Janet B. Gray
- Matthew G. Hohmann
- Thomas R. Wentworth
- Wade A. Wall
- William A. Hoffmann
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
- North Carolina State University