The mesophication process is generated by transitions of plant communities toward shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive species resulting from fire exclusion. Mesophication is a complex process that has most commonly been studied in regard to plant-fire feedbacks, with shifting fire regimes being identified as one of the primary mechanisms driving increases in mesophytic plant species. However, changes in the plant community can be mediated by wildlife. To understand the relationship between mesophication and wildlife, we conducted a series of studies in the upland hardwood and pine forests of Mississippi, USA. These studies were focused on shifting fire regimes resulting from fire suppression or changes in the fire season, and their effects on wildlife behavior. In particular, we focused on the role of food selection of plant consumers (herbivores and seed predators) in mediating the effects of shifting fire regimes on plant growth and communities. We also tested possible cascading effects of mesophication on other food webs by monitoring tick abundance at our study sites.
Our results highlight the role that wildlife can play in the mesophication process. We found changes in food selection altered plant growth and community structure in a way that may hinder mesophication when fire occurs during the lightning season. This should have cascading events on wildlife communities beyond plant consumers as we observed an increase in tick abundance with mesophytic leaf litter.
