Fig 1.
Non-metric, multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination of plant community composition at the onset of the study.
Distances and ordination were based on plant relative abundance data derived from coverage. Plots (symbols) are coded by treatments: Fire regime (R) by symbol shape and color, and litter load (L) by symbol shading. Overlain polygons identify the spread and separation based on plant species composition of plots within the three fire regimes. Overlapping plots were slightly shifted from their actual location on the ordination to depict similar plots.
Fig 2.
Mean percent cover of the four dominant plant species within different fire regimes at the onset of the study.
Means (vertical bars) with +/- 95% confidence intervals (vertical lines) were calculated across all each species based on relative abundances in each plot within each fire regime treatment. Absence of values indicates the species was not present in any plots associated with a given fire regime.
Fig 3.
Average mass gain of litter bags in plots within different fire regimes (left) and with low or high litter loads (right). Means (vertical bars) and +/- 95% confidence intervals (vertical lines), with significant grouping letters from Tukey HSD pairwise comparisons, were calculated for all plots within each fire regime (R) and litter load (L). Within either fire regime or litter load, treatments with similar letters above bars are statistically similar in average percent mass gain.
Fig 4.
Percent relative abundances of fungal (A) and bacterial (B) phyla within different fire regimes. Relative abundances were calculated within individual fire regime treatments (R) so each bar represents the distribution of phyla within only that regime. Colors denote different phyla. The number next to a phylum indicates the abundance of that phylum relative to all phyla in that same treatment. NA denotes unidentifiable or unnamed phyla.
Fig 5.
Non-metric, multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination of fungal community composition within different fire regimes (A) and within fire regimes at different sampling times (B). Distances and ordination were based on fungal ESV data in each treatment combination. Plots (symbols) are coded by treatments: Fire regime (R) by symbol color and shape, and sampling time (D) by symbol shading. Overlain polygons identify the spread and separation of fungal species compositions in plots within the same treatment.
Fig 6.
Non-metric, multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination of bacterial community composition within different fire regimes (A) and within fire regimes at different sampling times (B). Distances and ordination were based on bacterial ESV data in each treatment combination. Plots (symbols) are coded by treatments: Fire regime (R) by symbol color and shape, and sampling time (D) by symbol shading. Overlain polygons identify the spread and separation of bacterial species compositions in plots within the same treatment.
Fig 7.
Fungal alpha diversity metrics of species richness (A), evenness (B), and Shannon diversity (C) within combinations of fire regimes and litter loads at different sampling times. Means (horizontal bars) and +/- 95% confidence intervals (horizontal lines) were calculated across all plots in each treatment combination of fire regime (R), litter load (L), and sampling time (D). Fire regime and litter load are coded by color.
Fig 8.
Bacterial alpha diversity metrics of species richness (A), evenness (B), and Shannon diversity (C) within combinations of fire regimes and litter loads at different sampling times. Means (horizontal bars) and +/- 95% confidence intervals (horizontal lines) were calculated across all plots in each treatment combination of fire regime (R), litter load (L), and sampling time (D). Fire regime and litter load are coded by color.
Fig 9.
Average percent relative abundances of inferred functions of fungal indicator families within different fire regimes (A) and within fire regimes at different sampling times (B). Mean (vertical bars) and +/- 95% confidence intervals (vertical lines) were calculated as the average of all plots’ relative abundances of a particular function within a particular fire regime (R) or fire regime at a particular sampling time (D). An individual plot’s relative abundance of a particular function was calculated relative to all plots in the system for that particular function. If a confidence interval’s lower bound was negative, it was truncated to -0.1 to maintain plot clarity. Fire regime and sampling time are coded by color.
Fig 10.
Average percent relative abundances of inferred functions of bacterial indicator families within different fire regimes (A) and within fire regimes at different sampling times (B). Mean (vertical bars) and +/- 95% confidence intervals (vertical lines) were calculated as the average of all plots’ relative abundances of a particular function within a particular fire regime (R) or fire regime at a particular sampling time (D). An individual plot’s relative abundance of a particular function was calculated relative to all plots in the system for that particular function. Fire regime and sampling time are coded by color.