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Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gross, K; Lockwood, JR; Frost, CC; Morris, WF
Published in: Conservation Biology
January 1, 1998

Populations of mountain golden heather (Hudsonia montana), a threatened North Carolina shrub, are declining due to the suppression of natural fires and increased trampling by hikers and campers. Consequently, proposed management strategies have focused on conducting controlled burns and restricting human traffic. To help design an optimal management plan, we used demographic data from a 5-year field study of H. montana-which included a controlled burn-to construct size-based population projection matrices. Using these matrices, we projected the consequences of instituting controlled burns and hiking and camping restrictions separately and in tandem. We also determined the burn frequency that would maximize H. montana's population growth rate. Finally, we used a stochastic model to determine how environmental fluctuations could alter the efficacy of conservation measures. Our results suggest that, although neither burning nor trampling reduction alone can reverse H. montana's decline, a judicious combination of the two has an excellent chance of doing so. A burn frequency of once every 6-8 years should maximize H. montana's population growth, although the interburn interval could be increased to 12-16 years without significantly jeopardizing the success of the management plan. Our results show that, even with the limited data available, size-based projection matrix models can be useful tools for identifying promising combinations of multiple management strategies for most threatened plants.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Conservation Biology

DOI

ISSN

0888-8892

Publication Date

January 1, 1998

Volume

12

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1291 / 1301

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
 

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Gross, K., Lockwood, J. R., Frost, C. C., & Morris, W. F. (1998). Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana. Conservation Biology, 12(6), 1291–1301. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1998.97285.x
Gross, K., J. R. Lockwood, C. C. Frost, and W. F. Morris. “Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana.” Conservation Biology 12, no. 6 (January 1, 1998): 1291–1301. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1998.97285.x.
Gross K, Lockwood JR, Frost CC, Morris WF. Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana. Conservation Biology. 1998 Jan 1;12(6):1291–301.
Gross, K., et al. “Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana.” Conservation Biology, vol. 12, no. 6, Jan. 1998, pp. 1291–301. Scopus, doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.1998.97285.x.
Gross K, Lockwood JR, Frost CC, Morris WF. Modeling controlled burning and trampling reduction for conservation of Hudsonia montana. Conservation Biology. 1998 Jan 1;12(6):1291–1301.
Journal cover image

Published In

Conservation Biology

DOI

ISSN

0888-8892

Publication Date

January 1, 1998

Volume

12

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1291 / 1301

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences