Effects of wildfire on stream algal abundance, community structure, and nutrient limitation
Open accessAbstract
We studied the effects of wildfires in southern California on stream algal communities and their responses to nutrient enrichment. The intensity of scouring floods, concentrations of nutrients during ensuing rains (4–13× increases depending on nutrient), and postflood sediment deposition were greater at sites in burned than in unburned basins (UN sites). Postfire storms reduced algal biomass >10× more at sites in burned than in unburned basins. After the fire and subsequent floods, algal biomass, particularly of Cladophora, was up to 5 (chlorophyll a) to 20 (macroalgal mass) times higher at sites in burned basins with burned riparian vegetation (BRB sites) than at sites in unburned basins (UN sites), but algal abundance at sites in burned basins with intact riparian vegetation (BRI sites) was as low as 10 to 30% of that recorded at UN sites. Two to 3 mo after the wet season, nutrient and algal levels were similar among sites in UN, BRI, and BRB basins. We used summer nutrient diffusing substrata (NDS) experiments where N, P, N+P, or neither were added and found that algal density, chl a, and chl a/algal unit increased by ∼1.5 to 4.5× with N additions at sites in BRB and UN basins but did not change at sites in BRI basins. In contrast, algal biovolume increased 2 to 9× with N additions at all sites and with P addition at sites in BRI basins. General depressions in chl a by 40 to 50% with P addition were related to decreased chl a/algal unit. Diatoms increased with N and N+P ad…
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Wildfires in New Mexico and southern California led to initial declines in stream algal biomass, up to an order of magnitude lower than pre-fire levels.
“Wildfires in New Mexico and southern California led to initial declines in stream algal biomass, up to an order of magnitude lower than pre-fire levels (Klose et al., 2015; Whitney et al., 2015).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Klose et al., 2015
In California, where the riparian canopy was removed by fire, algal biomass ultimately increased 5-20x over pre-burn levels over time, indicating the importance of light.
“In California, however, where the riparian canopy was removed by fire, algal biomass ultimately increased 5–20x over pre-burn levels over time, indicating the importance of light (Klose et al., 2015).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Klose et al., 2015
Increased light availability from riparian canopy loss has offset initial algal biomass decreases over time, increasing algal biomass and shifting competition toward high light taxa.
“This has been offset over time by increased light availability from riparian canopy loss, increasing algal biomass and shifting competition toward high light taxa (Bixby et al., 2015; Klose et al., 2015; Verkaik et al., 2013).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Klose et al., 2015
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Fire effects on aquatic ecosystems: an assessment of the current state of the science
Bixby, R. J., Cooper, S. D., Gresswell, R. E., Brown, L. E., Dahm, C. N., & Dwire, K. A. (2015) · Freshwater Science · doi:10.1086/684073 · Cited by 234 · see citing works
Self-citationPaul, M. J., LeDuc, S. D., Lassiter, M. G., Moorhead, L. C., Noyes, P. D., & Leibowitz, S. G. (2022) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2021wr030699 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
“This has been offset over time by increased light availability from riparian canopy loss, increasing algal biomass and shifting competition toward high light taxa (Bixby et al., 2015; Klose et al., 2015; Verkaik et al., 2013).”
- Authors
- Klose, K., Cooper, S. D., & Bennett, D. M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- Corresponding author
- Klose, Kristie
- Cooper, Scott D.
- Bennett, Danuta M.
- ORCID
- Cooper, Scott D.
- Venue
- Freshwater Science
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 2015-12-01
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1494-1509
- ISSN
- 2161-9549 (ISSN-L)
- 2161-9565
- OpenAlex
- W2330048242
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 1.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Freshwater Science (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Keywords
- wildfire effects, stream algae, algal community structure, nutrient limitation, nutrient enrichment, Cladophora, diatoms, cyanobacteria, green algae, sediment deposition, riparian vegetation, chlorophyll a, light regime, flood disturbance
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