DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9kd51c5n5
title: Divergent trajectories of regeneration in early-successional forests after logging and wildfire

description: Increases in forest disturbances have altered global patterns of forest
 demography, with many regions now characterized by extensive areas of
 early-successional forest. Heterogeneity in the structure, diversity and
 composition of early-successional forests is often overlooked in
 ecological research. However, these sources of variability in
 early-successional forests can influence their inherent ecological values
 now and in later successional stages, including values for biodiversity
 and carbon storage. Here, using 14 years of longitudinal data, we describe
 temporal patterns in the structure, diversity, and composition of
 early-successional forests subject to different disturbance origins
 (clearcut logging, salvage logging and wildfire) and disturbance histories
 (short, medium and long disturbance intervals) in the Mountain Ash
 (Eucalyptus regnans) and Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) forests of
 south-eastern Australia. Our analyses revealed several key differences
 between early-successional forests that regenerated from wildfire versus
 anthropogenic perturbations. Most ash-type plant communities were
 resilient to wildfire within historical fire-regimes (75-150 years),
 exhibiting temporal trends of recovery within the first decade. In
 contrast, the diversity and abundance of some plant lifeforms and
 life-history traits were negatively associated with clearcut logging and
 salvage logging, relative to forests disturbed by wildfire alone. Taxa
 most affected were resprouting species, such as tree-ferns and ground
 ferns. However, some onsite-seeding species, including Acacia were more
 abundant after clearcut logging than after wildfire. Our findings also
 provide evidence of the pronounced and pervasive impacts of salvage
 logging on early-successional plant communities. Alarmingly, we observed
 several negative temporal responses in plant diversity after salvage
 logging. That is, diversity declined over time after salvage logging,
 rather than increased as occurred following other disturbance types.
 Early-successional forests provide the template from which mature forests
 develop. Therefore, altered patterns of recovery in early-successional
 forests with different disturbance origins will likely shape the structure
 and function of later-successional stages. Forest management should seek
 to limit future anthropogenic perturbations, especially salvage logging,
 to preserve total diversity of plant communities in ash-type forests. This
 is pertinent with predicted increases in wildfire likely to increase the
 extent of early-successional fire-prone forests in many already
 regrowth-dominated ecosystems, which risk falling into positive feedbacks.
description: See paper
description: See within excel docs
description: # Divergent trajectories of regeneration in early-successional forests
 after logging and wildfire
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9kd51c5n5](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9kd51c5n5) Increases in forest disturbances have altered global forest demography rates, with many regions now characterized by extensive areas of early-successional forest. Heterogeneity in the structure, diversity and composition of early-successional forests influence their inherent ecological values from immediately following disturbance to later successional stages, including values for biodiversity and carbon storage. Here, using 14 years of longitudinal data, we describe patterns in the structure, richness, and composition of early-successional forests subject to one of three different disturbance types: (1) clearcut logging followed by slash burn, (2) severe wildfire followed by salvage logging, and (3) severe wildfire only, in the Mountain Ash (*Eucalyptus regnans*) and Alpine Ash (*Eucalyptus delegatensis*) forests of south-eastern Australia. We also documented the influence of disturbance intervals (short, medium and long) on early-successional forests. Our analyses revealed several key differences between forests that regenerated from wildfire versus two different anthropogenic perturbations. Most ash-type plant communities were resilient to wildfire within historical fire-regimes (75-150 years), exhibiting temporal trends of recovery in plant structure, richness, and composition within the first decade. In contrast, the richness, occurrence and abundance of some plant lifeforms and life-history traits were negatively associated with clearcut logging and salvage logging, relative to forests disturbed by wildfire alone. These included resprouting species, such as tree-ferns and ground-ferns. However, onsite-seeding species, including *Acacia* spp. and shrubs were more abundant after clearcut logging. Our findings also provide evidence of the pronounced negative impact of salvage logging on early-successional plant communities, relative to that of both clearcut logging and wildfire. Notably, plant richness declined for over a decade after salvage logging, rather than increased as occurred following other disturbance types. Early-successional forests provide the template for the stand structure and composition of mature forests. Therefore, altered patterns of recovery with different disturbance types will likely shape the structure and function of later-successional stages. Predicted increases in wildfire will increase the generation of early-successional forests and subsequent salvage logging. Therefore, it is pertinent that management consider how different disturbance types can produce alternate states of forest composition and structure early in succession and the implications for mature stands. ## Description of the data and file structure Please first sheet in see excel documents for specific detailed descriptions on data columns. **File names and descriptions** ESF_Basalarea_df1_April24.xlsx = Basal area (m2/ha) of plant species and lifeforms. ESF_Basalarea_df2_April24 Basal area (m2/ha) of plant species and lifeforms. ESF_Sprich_df.xlsx = Species/diversity and richness VCH_PC_df.xlsx = Projective foliage cover data