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

Stephen S. Talbot·Sandra Looman Talbot·Lawrence R. Walker
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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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Stephen S. Talbot, Sandra Looman Talbot, Lawrence R. Walker. 2018-01-17. Post-eruption legacy effects and their implications for long-term recovery of the vegetation on Kasatochi Island, Alaska. https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.3.285

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