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Cited by 30Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecologyFire effects on ecosystemsEcology and biodiversity studies

Long-term impact of severe wildfire and post-wildfire salvage logging on macroinvertebrate assemblage structure in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains

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Martens, Amanda M., Silins, Uldis, Proctor, Heather C., Williams, Chris H. S., Wagner, Michael J., Emelko, Monica B., Stone, Micheal·2019·International Journal of Wildland Fire
DOI 10.1071/wf18177
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Abstract

Wildfire is an important natural disturbance on forested landscapes influencing both physical and biological processes. The Lost Creek wildfire was one of the most severe on Alberta’s eastern slopes and provided a unique opportunity to assess the long-term impacts of wildfire and post-wildfire salvage logging on northern Rocky Mountain catchments. Macroinvertebrate sampling conducted 8 years after the wildfire indicated distinct macroinvertebrate assemblages in reference, burned, and burned and salvage-logged catchments. Reference catchments were characterised by more sensitive taxa (e.g. stoneflies) and had the lowest abundance of macroinvertebrates. Burned catchments had the greatest abundance of macroinvertebrates and were characterised by greater abundance of chironomids and caddisflies. Burned and salvage-logged catchments supported high numbers of riffle beetles and crane flies. The unique assemblage structures between catchments indicate different mechanisms drive the ecological response in wildfire-affected catchments. Resource availability was an important driver of assemblage structure in the more productive burned catchments and habitat quality was a dominant driver in the burned and salvage-logged catchments. Despite the legacy effects observed in this study, fire-affected catchments still supported sensitive taxa and functional macroinvertebrate assemblages.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Martens, A. M., Silins, U., Proctor, H. C., Williams, C. H. S., Wagner, M. J., Emelko, M. B., & Stone, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Alberta (CA)
  • CAlberta Agriculture and Forestry, Calgary, AB T3L 3M4, Canada.
  • University of Waterloo (CA)
Corresponding author
Martens, Amanda M.
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Wildland Fire
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Published
2019-09-19
Volume
28
Issue
10
Pages
738-749
ISSN
  • 1049-8001 (ISSN-L)
  • 1448-5516
DOI
10.1071/wf18177
OpenAlex
W2973724658
Cited by
30
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1
FWCI
1.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
International Journal of Wildland Fire (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
  • Alberta Innovates
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Ecology and biodiversity studies
Keywords
forest fires, macroinvertebrate communities, catchment disturbance, Plecoptera, Chironomidae, Trichoptera, Elmidae, Tipulidae, resource availability, habitat quality, sensitive taxa

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