First years of postfire regeneration in cypress forests (Austrocedrus chilensis)

Abstract

Due to a series of biological and ecological characteristics, andean cypress forests have been and continue to be frequently affected by forest fires. This study provides a first evaluation of post-fire regeneration in pure cypress forests which were burnt up to fifteen years ago. To evaluate post-fire succession, plant cover by strata and cypress abundance were studied. Experiments were also conducted on field and laboratory germination with soils with different burning ages, under different watering regimes in the laboratory. The seed bank is also studied. Field results show a lack of regeneration in all burnt soils. Field and laboratory experiments provide no evidence of the effects of soil burning on germination rates. The poverty of the seed bank in the burned soils may explain the lack of regeneration.