Post-eruption legacy effects and their implications for long-term recovery of the vegetation on Kasatochi Island, Alaska

Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S. L.; Walker, L. R.

Abstract:

We studied the vegetation of Kasatochi Island, central Aleutian Islands, to provide a general field assessment regarding the survival of plants, lichens, and fungi following a destructive volcanic eruption that occurred in 2008. Plant community data were analyzed using multivariate methods to explore the relationship between pre- and post-eruption plant cover; 5 major vegetation types were identified: Honckenya peploides beach, Festuca rubra cliff shelf, Lupinus nootkatensisFestuca rubra meadow, Leymus mollis bluff ridge (and beach), and Aleuria aurantia lower slope barrens. Our study provided a very unusual glimpse into the early stages of plant primary succession on a remote island where most of the vegetation was destroyed. Plants that apparently survived the eruption dominated early plant communities. Not surprisingly, the most diverse post-eruption community most closely resembled a widespread pre-eruption type. Microhabitats where early plant communities were found were distinct and apparently crucial in determining plant survival. Comparison with volcanic events in related boreal regions indicated some post-eruption pattern similarities. ?? 2010 Regents of the University of Colorado.

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Article

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70037298

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Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S. L.; Walker, L. R.

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296

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English

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Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

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Post-eruption legacy effects and their implications for long-term recovery of the vegetation on Kasatochi Island, Alaska; 2010; Article; Journal; Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research; Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S. L.; Walker, L. R.