Influence of Fire Disturbance on Vegetation Structure and The Resulting Influence of This Disturbance on Wildlife Habitat Suitability

Abstract

Disturbance regimes, such as fire, play a crucial role in shaping the structure, dynamics, and biodiversity of ecosystems by influencing species interactions, habitat variation, and ecosystem regeneration. This study investigates the ecological impacts of wildfire disturbances on forest structure and wildlife dynamics at the Altona Flat Rock, a globally rare sandstone pavement jack pine (Pinus banksiana) barrens in northeastern New York. We examined how time since disturbance influences forest structure by assessing attributes such as tree height, canopy closure, density, basal area, and understory composition across a chronosequence of disturbances. Our findings revealed minimal variation in forest structure among stands of different ages, with high homogeneity across the landscape. Within jack pine origin stands, only standing dead density and jack pine density showed significant differences. Tree age analysis indicated that fire severity and topographic complexity influenced tree survival and establishment, with most jack pine trees establishing immediately after the last major fire. In addition to assessing forest structure, we investigated the effects of the 2018 fire on wildlife dynamics in the area. Using a network of 20 camera traps and vegetation surveys at 60 plot locations, we monitored wildlife presence and habitat conditions, focusing on predator-prey dynamics and the influence of post-fire habitat characteristics. Our results demonstrated that wildlife species responded differently to post-fire conditions. Predators, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), exhibited increased activity in recently burned areas, benefiting from improved visibility, while herbivores like white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) avoided these areas due to reduced cover. Occupancy modeling showed that species occupancy was not significantly influenced by forest structure, burn year, or season, though diel activity patterns revealed high overlap between coyotes and deer, suggesting complex predator-prey interactions in post-fire environments. Together, these findings emphasize the importance of disturbance-driven habitat heterogeneity in maintaining biodiversity. Fire-regulated management strategies are crucial for sustaining species-rich communities in fire-adapted ecosystems, as disturbances create dynamic mosaics of structural attributes that support both forest regeneration and diverse wildlife communities.