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Cited by 219Fire effects on ecosystemsEcology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEcosystem dynamics and resilience

Testing the Amazon savannization hypothesis: fire effects on invasion of a neotropical forest by native cerrado and exotic pasture grasses

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Silvério, Divino V., Brando, Paulo M., Balch, Jennifer K., Putz, Francis E., Nepstad, Daniel C., Oliveira-Santos, Claudinei, Bustamante, Mercedes M. C.·2013·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
DOI 10.1098/rstb.2012.0427PMC PMC3638439
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Abstract

Changes in climate and land use that interact synergistically to increase fire frequencies and intensities in tropical regions are predicted to drive forests to new grass-dominated stable states. To reveal the mechanisms for such a transition, we established 50 ha plots in a transitional forest in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon to different fire treatments (unburned, burned annually (B1 yr ) or at 3-year intervals (B3 yr )). Over an 8-year period since the commencement of these treatments, we documented: (i) the annual rate of pasture and native grass invasion in response to increasing fire frequency; (ii) the establishment of Brachiaria decumbens (an African C 4 grass) as a function of decreasing canopy cover and (iii) the effects of grass fine fuel on fire intensity. Grasses invaded approximately 200 m from the edge into the interiors of burned plots (B1 yr : 4.31 ha; B3 yr : 4.96 ha) but invaded less than 10 m into the unburned plot (0.33 ha). The probability of B. decumbens establishment increased with seed availability and decreased with leaf area index. Fine fuel loads along the forest edge were more than three times higher in grass-dominated areas, which resulted in especially intense fires. Our results indicate that synergies between fires and invasive C 4 grasses jeopardize the future of tropical forests.

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  • The ecosystem often becomes dominated by fire-tolerant tree and palm species, together with alien invasive grasses and opportunistic herbaceous plants such as vines and ferns.

    “The ecosystem often becomes dominated by fire-tolerant tree and palm species, together with alien invasive grasses and opportunistic herbaceous plants96,97, such as vines and ferns.”

    From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [97]

    The fire-induced grass-invasion section reports that exotic pasture grasses can establish after fires, and the persistence section says fire-degraded forests may become dominated by vines, resprouts and pioneer trees. The paper does not establish the claimed combined dominance by fire-tolerant trees, palms, invasive grasses and opportunistic plants, and the cited passages do not mention ferns. Its persistence section also notes that grass dominance may be transient. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In the degraded open-canopy ecosystem trajectory, feedbacks involve interactions among low tree cover and fire, soil erosion, seed limitation, invasive grasses and opportunistic plants.

    “In the ‘degraded open-canopy ecosystem’ trajectory, feedbacks involve interactions among low tree cover and fire97, soil erosion60, seed limitation105, invasive grasses and opportunistic plants96.”

    From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [97]

    The Introduction and ‘Fire-induced loss of canopy cover’ section describe a feedback in which fire reduces tree cover, grasses invade, and grass fuels intensify subsequent fires. The ‘Persistence of fire-promoting grasses’ section also mentions vines, resprouts, and pioneer trees in fire-degraded forests, but presents them as possible alternatives to grass dominance, not as participants in the described feedback. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Today, invasion by alien flammable grasses is a novel stabilizing mechanism, but the long-term persistence of these grasses in the ecosystem is uncertain.

    “Today, invasion by alien flammable grasses is a novel stabilizing mechanism96,97, but the long-term persistence of these grasses in the ecosystem is also uncertain.”

    From Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system (2024) · cites this paper as [97]

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Authors
Silvério, D. V., Brando, P. M., Balch, J. K., Putz, F. E., Nepstad, D. C., Oliveira-Santos, C., & Bustamante, M. M. C.
Affiliations
  • Universidade de Brasília (BR)
  • Woodwell Climate Research Center (US)
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
  • University of Florida (US)
  • Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (BR)
  • Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, Forest Ecology Belém, Belém, Pará, Brazil
Corresponding author
Silvério, Divino V.
ORCID
Venue
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Publisher
The Royal Society
Published
2013-06-05
Volume
368
Issue
1619
Pages
20120427
ISSN
  • 0962-8436 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-2970
DOI
10.1098/rstb.2012.0427
PMC
PMC3638439
OpenAlex
W2008985576
Cited by
219
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3
FWCI
9.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
Keywords
savannization, fire frequency, grass invasion, Brachiaria decumbens, C4 grasses, pasture grasses, tropical forests, Amazon, fire intensity, fine fuel load, canopy cover, leaf area index, seed availability, forest-grassland transition, land use change, climate change
MeSH terms
Brazil, Conservation of Natural Resources, Fires, Light, Seeds, Trees, Tropical Climate, Logistic Models, Ecosystem, Brachiaria, Introduced Species

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