Disturbance-based restoration for recovery of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) in the Thousand Islands Ecosystem: a comparison of prescribed fire and mechanical disturbance on seedling regeneration

Disturbance plays an important role in maintaining forests worldwide. Many natural disturbance regimes, especially wildfire, have been modified, which can lead to the loss of disturbance adapted forest communities. Pinus rigida (pitch pine) is strongly associated with wildfire in the core of its range, however the association becomes less certain towards the species’ range margins. I tested the efficiency of a prescribed fire and mechanical disturbance treatment on increasing P. rigida seedlings using a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design at two sites at the northeast range margin of P. rigida in the Thousand Islands Ecosystem, Canada. Fire had the greatest effect on regenerating P. rigida seedlings and mechanical treatments were ineffective. My results suggest that the use of prescribed fire is the best approach to increase P. rigida seedlings in the Thousand Islands Ecosystem, possibly because these populations are exhibiting phenotypic plasticity in traits that favour conditions created by fire.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Van Wieren, Joshua Frans

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2014 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2014-10118

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/38134