Laurel (Litsea glaucescens Kunth) Regeneration in the Presence of Disturbance Events: A Case Study

Abstract

A study was carried out in an Abies religiosa Kunth Schltdl. et Cham forest of the community of San Antonio Tecocomulco Tres Cabezas, Municipality of Singuilucan, Hidalgo, to evaluate the resprouting ability of laurel (Litsea glaucescens Kunth) in response to controlled burning treatments and removal of entire stems. The number of laurel bushes, shoots, and mean plant height were evaluated, and three treatments were applied: controlled surface burn; all sprouts cut from the base; and control treatment. Nine weeks after the treatments were applied, the plants in the stem removal treatment remained alive (100 percent), and the appearance of shoots with a mean height of 4.8 cm increased by 18 percent, whereas in the controlled burning treatment, the number of live plants and shoots decreased by 38.2 and 71.5 percent, respectively, with a mean height of 1.1 cm. In the control, the number of bushes remained at 100 percent, and shoots increased by 9.9 percent with a mean bush height of 7.6 cm. This indicates that although surface forest fires tend to affect laurel, surviving plants tend to emit more vigorous shoots, whereas stem removal in laurel bushes generates more shoots.