Early stages of plant succession following forest fires

Skutch, Alexander

FIELD WORK: 16-24 August 1924; 17 July 1925 and 16-24, 30 August 1925, 8 and 17 July 1926, 8 June 1928 at the Young's Mountain location; and 13 July 1924, 12 August 1925, June 1928 one mile west of the above mentioned fire. This study compares succession following two fires on Mount Desert Island in the 1920's with a fire on Blue Mountain Peak (7000feet) in Jamaica. Skutch found the same, or closely related species dominated vegetation succession at all three locations. Detailed observations at sites are presented. FLORA - FUNGI: Pyronema omphalodes was the first colonizer, present in burnt area 12 days after 1924 fire. A year after the fire, Flammula highlandensis, a gill fungus, was scattered throughout the burnt area and Geopyxis cupularis and Rhizinia inflata, discomycetes, were present in the margin of the burnt area. FLORA - LIVERWORTS: Marchantia was abundant in burnt area one year after 1924 fire. Notes presence of Marchantia in burnt area after 1923 fire. FLORA - MOSS: Notes Polytrichum commune and Ceratodon purpurens inhabiting burnt area 4 years after 1924 fire. Polytrichum noted a year after 1923 fire. FLORA - LICHEN: notes Peltigera polydactyla widespread in burnt area 4 years after 1924 fire /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/Youngs Mountain GIS-CATEGORY 2 ; Fire: Fire in 1924 on western side of Young's mountain -- location described in words, no map. 1925 fire one mile west of above location

Early stages of plant succession following forest fires

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