Obligate resprouting, obligate seeding, and facultative seeding shrub species in California’s Mediterranean-type climate region

Mediterranean-climate region (MCR) shrublands have evolved a set of
regeneration strategies in response to periodic, high-intensity wildfires:
obligate seeding (OS), obligate resprouting (OR), and facultative seeding
(FS) species. Spatial variation is seen in different regeneration
strategies. In California, previous studies have found a higher abundance
of OR species in mesic environments and OS species in xeric environments
(Meentenmeyer et al. 2001). To date, however, data on their spatial
distribution at a regional scale in California is limited and presents a
significant information gap for resource managers of shrub-dominated
landscapes. We developed a multinomial model using temporally dynamic and
static variables to predict the distribution of the three shrub post-fire
regeneration strategies, plus trees and herbs, in southern California.
Cross-validation showed 50% of the predicted values for each of the five
plant groups were within 8–24 percent of the actual value (Underwood et
al. 2023). Spatial data for OS, OR, and FS provide an important
contribution to resource management to help quantify carbon storage of
shrublands and prioritize areas for post-fire restoration.