Functional Analysis of Response to Fire

Invitation to join the network

What is the network and who is in it?

This network is being set up in order to coordinate researchers and gather information on how vegetation responds to fire in areas under different climatic conditions and with different land use / fire history. The emphasis is on PLANT FUNCTIONAL TYPES and PLANT FUNCTIONAL TRAITS, (i.e. what plant traits/groups are favoured or selected against by fire).

This network is part of an initiative called "Vegetation Responses to Disturbance and Land Use", and corresponds to Task 2.2.1 of GCTE-IGBP. One of the Task objectives is the development of a draft framework to enable global comparison of trait response to different types of disturbance. The network tries among others to work out a global trait list that is a suitable tool for describing plant responses to major disturbance types. This Task is co-chaired by Sue McIntyre (Australia) and Sandra Diaz (Argentina). This General Network of the Task discusses the general outcome and further scientific development of the Task and coordinates subgroup activities, which involves not only fire, but also changing land use and grazing. It has already over 70 members and it is in expansion. You may have received a full document on the Task already. Network activities were recently initiated during a workshop in Montpellier, and because complete coverage of all disturbance and environment activities were regarded as unlikely to be achieved, three major disturbance types were selected to focus on:

The Fire Network, which we are inviting you to join, is coordinated by Juli G. Pausas, with the collaboration of Kirsten Thonicke (for northern ecosystems). We are in the process of involving more regional coordinators (e.g. Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, etc.) to extend our coverage.

What are we trying to do?

We have set out to develop a framework to enable the global comparison of trait responses to disturbance. We see that framework as a table (hereafter "Output Table") containing cells representing axes of environment x fire, in which studies from similar environments and with similar fire regimes/histories would fit into the same cell, and will be compared as "replicates". Thus the results of individual studies would come to represent "replicates" for comparison across "treatments" represented by the classes of environment and fire. Meta-analysis and related techniques might be applicable for some cases of cross-cell comparisons.

We aim to use the framework in two ways: (1) to search for general emerging patterns (inductive approach); and (2) to answer specific questions and/or to evaluate specific hypotheses (deductive approach). Specific questions identified in the last workshop included:

1. Two what extent are resource models (e.g., CSR sensus Grime et al. (1997); LHS sensus Westoby (in press)) adequate to interpret trait variation across climate and fire regimes?
2. To what extent are other existing general models of vegetation response to disturbance (e.g., range succession theory, state and transition model, matrix and gap model, the model of Milchunas et al. 1988, vital attributes of Noble & Slatyer 1980, etc.) adequate to interpret and predict trait variation across climate and fire regimes?
3. What is the minimum number of traits we need to define responses to fire/climate combinations? (e.g., FAUST hypothetical trait list, sensus Lavorel et al. 1997).
4. How consistent are the links between regeneration and vegetative traits across different climatic/land use situations?

Steps and Timeframe

There will be two steps:

1. Information-gathering stage. Assemble detailed primary information of the different studies, in terms of RESULTS and ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT in which the studies were conducted. For this reason, we will be seeking detailed information on the climate, soil, vegetation structure, fire history and the temporal and spatial scale of the study, particularly in relation to the heterogeneity (grain and diversity of the landscape).

A ‘pro forma’ will be sent to be filled out for each study.

2. This primary information will anticipate the content of the Output Table but it will differ from it in that it will contain enough detail to enable post hoc reallocation of studies to different cells for the actual comparison, and interpretation, of results.

Timeframe

We propose to have a reasonably well-developed draft of the Output Table, and hopefully some answers to the questions/hypotheses expressed above, by late July 1999, in which a Task 2.2.1 Workshop will be held, in close association with the International Rangeland Congress (Townsville, Australia, 19-23 July 1999).

How could you contribute to the network?

There are several (no exclusive) levels of contribution:

1. Providing information on how your system is like and how does it respond to fire (that means filling in a pro forma).
2. Providing references (or, much better, reprints) of your published work
3. Helping us to expand the network, by suggesting other contact people.
4. Providing references of published articles by authors other than yourself.
5. Actively contributing to the discussion, compilation, standardisation, and final building up of the framework (both primary information and Output Table).
6. Proposing new questions/hypotheses which could be "asked" to the framework.
7. Proposing yourself (or others) as a regional sub-coordinator.

What benefit will you get?

1. You will be involved in what we hope will be an intellectually stimulating exercise.
2. You will get in connection with a hopefully large number of researchers working in related areas, and have access to the references and information they will be putting onto the network.
3. If you become involved in the framework discussion/construction, you will have a large body of information to test your own ideas against. Your personal research questions could be addressed using this information source.
4. You will be fully acknowledged for work/data/models/etc. put onto the network.

What do we expect you to do next?

If you ARE NOT interested in joining this network, please let us know, so you don’t keep getting e-mails from us.

If you ARE interested, then:

1. Please tell us what kind of involvement would you wish to have.
2. We will be sending you some general documents of Task 2.2.1 (not only on fire), so you will get a better idea of how this fits into a bigger picture. You may have already received it, if you are incorporated in the General Network.
3. If you are not on board already, we will include you in the Fire and General Networks (unless you prefer to be in the Fire one only).
4. We will be sending you more specific questions and discussion topics.

In any case, and without implying any further commitment, please feel free to send us your comments on this initiative.