Early post-fire succession in a Nothofagus glauca forest in the Coastal Cordillera of south-central Chile

The temperate deciduous species Nothofagus glauca (Phil.) Krasser exhibits characteristics commonly found in fire-adapted vegetation, yet the role of fire in the evolutionary history of the vegetation in south-central Chile has not been well investigated. We examined the effects of a wildfire on early succession in a Nothofagus glauca forest in the Coastal Cordillera of south-central Chile by comparing data from a burned forest to the vegetation in an adjacent, unburned stand. Results from this study suggest that species present on the site at the time of disturbance and species subsequently dispersed onto the site play an important role in early post-fire succession in this ecosystem. In both the first and second growing seasons following fire, 77% of the species found in the burned plots were also present in the unburned forest. Invasive species, particularly exotic invaders, were also important in early post-fire succession. All of the species found in the unburned forest were native to Chile, and 69% represented endemic taxa. In contrast, 28 species were present on the burned plots that were absent from the unburned forest and many of these invasive species (43%) were exotic taxa. Pinus radiata D. Don was particularly successful in invading these disturbed forests. The importance of persistent native species indicates that the majority of the plants associated with this forest type exhibit adaptations to survive fire. However, the presence and success of exotic invaders, particularly Pinus radiata, is disturbing in light of the unique and highly fragmented vegetation endemic to the area. Future research is warranted to investigate the effects that exotic invasive species may have in the post-fire development of the native forest remnants.