Spatial and temporal dynamics of live fuel moisture content in eastern Mediterranean woodlands are driven by an interaction between climate and community structure

The initiation and spread of wildfires depend, among others, on the live fuel moisture content (LFMC) in plants. Whereas the intrinsic and environmental drivers of LFMC in individual plants are fairly well understood, less is known about ecological interactions potentially affecting LFMC in diverse plant communities. Here, we asked how the interaction between climate and species diversity affects the spatial and temporal dynamics of LFMC in Mediterranean plant communities. We sampled LFMC in six plant communities located along a steep precipitation gradient in four monthly intervals and analysed how LFMC was affected by the structure of the community as well by site and climate conditions. LFMC varied greatly among species, and climate and species richness had an interactive effect on LFMC. On average, species richness had a strong negative effect on LFMC in sites with high rainfall, whereas in drier sites, richness had a small positive effect. Yet the effect of richness on LFMC varied across species, with some exhibiting a positive effect of richness on their LFMC. Individuals surrounded by more heterospecifics tended to have lower LFMC compared with ones surrounded by conspecifics. Our results highlight the interactive roles of climate and community characteristics on LFMC dynamics in eastern Mediterranean ecosystems.