Resilience of Pinus caribaea forests affected by different fire severities
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Abstract
The resilience of Pinus caribaea forests to fire is crucial for their conservation under climate change scenarios, where the frequency and intensity of these events are increasing. This study evaluated changes in richness, abundance, and floristic composition across a fire severity gradient (high, medium, low) and an unburned forest (UNF) in Pinar del Río, Cuba. One year after the fire (April 2019), 100 m² plots were established at each severity level (n = 20) to record vascular plants (height ≥5 cm). Richness, abundance, diversity (Shannon-Weaver and Margalef indices), and composition were analyzed using ANOVA and similarity analysis. The results showed that richness and abundance decreased significantly with severity: BNQ and low severity (LS) had higher richness (38 and 37 species) and abundance (954 and 817 individuals), while high severity (HS) had only 12 species and 190 individuals. Resprouting species (e.g., Andropogon bicornis, Sorghastrum stipoides) dominated in LS, while fire-sensitive species (e.g., Blechum serrulatum) persisted in BNQ and LS. Floristic similarity was greatest between BNQ-LS (81.5%) and LS-MS (61.5%). It is concluded that severe fires reduce diversity and alter floristic composition, favoring fire-adapted species, which could compromise forest recovery without management interventions.
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