| Abstract: | We examined the response of Lazuli Bunting ( Passerina amoena ) to fire in Gambel oak ( Quercus gambelii ) woodland at Camp Williams, Utah, during 1993–1998. Overall, Lazuli Bunting abundance on the study area increased significantly during the 2 years after a stand-replacing wildfire, which covered 800 ha of Gambel oak woodland. This increase suggested that Lazuli Buntings respond positively to fire. However, a comparison of pre- and postfire abundance of Lazuli Bunting for 2 groups of monitoring plots with different fire histories showed that abundance was significantly greater during the post-fire period for both burned and unburned plots. When we examined our data at a spatial scale appropriate to Lazuli Bunting, we found that post-fire increases observed on unburned plots were limited to plots in close proximity to the burned area. A comparison of pre- and post-fire abundance of Lazuli Bunting for 3 groups of monitoring plots located at various distances from the burned area revealed that post-fire abundance was similar only for plots within the fire boundary and for those ≤1000 m from the fire boundary; plots located >1000 m from the fire boundary had fewer individuals per plot post-fire. However, prefire Lazuli Bunting abundance was similar among all 3 categories. This differential, spatially scaled response of Lazuli Bunting to fire at the landscape level may support a hierarchical view of habitat selection. |
