Effects of heat and smoke on germination of soil-stored seed in a south-eastern Australian sand heathland

Wills, Timothy J.; Read, Jennifer

doi:10.1071/bt01017

Cited by 42 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The seedling density of heat-treated soil from the previous study at GP yielded 4575 seedlings m -2 (Wills and Read 2002), which was comparable with the 3111 seedlings m -2 from GP-24 in this study, and values from other heat-treated soil in Australian heathlands (Enright et al 1997;Marsden-Smedley et al 1997). However, in this study, seedling densities in control soils were substantially higher at GP-24 (1148 m -2 ) compared to the previous study (485 m -2 ) (Wills and Read 2002). The study by Wills (2002) indicated that seedling densities in heat-treated soil were almost ten times higher than those in the controls; however, in this study they were only ca.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…This also allowed comparison of results with a previous soil seed bank study at one of the study sites, 'GP' (Wills and Read 2002). The previous study at GP used an application of smoked water and a heat treatment of 80-100°C to promote seed germination from soil cores (Wills and Read 2002). The results indicated no difference in mean species richness of the soil seed bank of smoketreated relative to control samples, while the heat treatment promoted germination in a significantly Plant Ecol (2007) 190:1-12 3 higher number of species.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil seed bank dynamics in post-fire heathland succession in south-eastern Australia

Wills

Read

2006

Plant Ecol

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Soil seed banks can exert a strong influence on the path of vegetation succession following fire, with species varying in their capacity to persist in the seed bank over time, leading to changes in seed bank composition and propagules available for post-fire colonisation. This study examined the effect of time since fire on soil seed bank dynamics in a chronosequence of seven sites spanning 26 years in a south-eastern Australian sand heathland. No significant change was evident in the species richness and density of the germinable soil seed bank, but species composition differed significantly among young (0-6 years since fire), intermediate (10-17 years since fire) and old-aged (24-26 years since fire) sites (using presence/absence data). No significant trend was observed in the similarity between the extant vegetation and the soil seed bank with time since fire. A total of 32% of the species recorded in the soil seed bank were not present in the above-ground vegetation at the same site, which suggests that species requiring fire for germination may be present in the seed bank. Most species present in the extant vegetation were not recorded (63%) or were in very low abundances in the soil seed bank (29%). The mode of regeneration appears to be the major determinant of species absence in the soil seed bank, as 66% of species occurring in the extant vegetation but not in the seed bank have the capacity to regenerate by resprouting. This study shows that a major shift in the successional pathway after fire due to altered seed bank composition is unlikely in this vegetation; most species not recorded in the seed bank are either resprouters (obligate or facultative) or serotinous, suggesting that they will readily regenerate following fire. Unless fire frequencies are high and kill fire-sensitive obligate seeders before they reach maturity, the chance that the soil seed bank could substantially alter vegetation composition within the study area after fire is low. However, it is unclear how successional pathways may alter in response to severe fires with the potential to kill both seeders and resprouters.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil seed bank dynamics in post-fire heathland succession in south-eastern Australia

Wills

Read

2006

Plant Ecol

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“…Centella asiatica and Bidens pilosa showed marked increases in emergence in response to heat. In contrast with studies from the Mediterranean region (Thanos et al 1992;Figueroa et al 2009;Moreira et al 2010) and Australia (Wills and Read 2002) where heat plays a major role in regulating post-fire emergence, smoke is perhaps the major fire-related factor in promoting seed germination and seedling emergence in the mesic Tall grassland of South Africa. The interaction of heat-shock and smoke also appears to be equally important (Keith 1997;Thomas et al 2007) in stimulating germination/ emergence of the species forming the mesic grassland soil seed bank (Thomas et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 51%

“…For instance, in south-eastern Australian sand heathland, Wills and Read (2002) recorded only 20 species. From species-rich Chilean Matorral soil seed bank samples Figueroa et al (2009) recorded only a total of 23 taxa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Smoke and heat: influence on seedling emergence from the germinable soil seed bank of mesic grassland in South Africa

et al. 2011

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We examined if germination and seedling emergence of species from the soil seed bank of mesic grassland in South Africa differed in their response to smoke or heat treatments alone or combined. Soil seed bank samples taken from 0 to 5 cm depth of the topsoil were treated with smoke-water solution, heat and heat ? smoke-water combined and subsequent emergence of seedlings monitored over 90 days. In total, 790 individuals from 11 different plant families representing 37 graminoid (Poaceae) and non-graminoid species of flowering plants were identified. The most abundant plant families that emerged were Poaceae followed by Asteraceae. Grasses contributed 18% of the germinable seed bank, while non-grass (forbs and trees) species contributed [80%. The most abundant grass species that emerged was Themeda triandra and the most common forb species was Centella asiatica. Compared to the control, smoke-water (SW) and/or smoke-water ? heat (H ? SW) treatment resulted in a 1.6-fold increase in mean number of seedling emergence. SW and H ? SW treatment of soil seed bank also resulted in fourfold to fivefold greater biomass production. These results suggest that emergence of some smoke-responsive perennial grasses (e.g. Themeda triandra) from the soil seed bank can be enhanced using smoke techniques. Moreover, plant-derived smoke could potentially have a significant role in the restoration of degraded grasslands in South Africa and elsewhere.

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Transition from heathland to scrub in south-eastern Tasmania: extent of change since the 1970s, floristic depletion and management implications

Bargmann

Kirkpatrick

2014

Biodivers Conserv

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Heathland is a speciose and floriferous vegetation type, defined by its stature (\2 m) and dominance by scleromorphic shrubs. Heathland has been in decline globally, and much of its loss has been due to less frequent fire, while in some places more frequent fire has resulted in degradation through the loss of obligate seeding species. The aims of the present study were to determine: (1) the extent of the transition from heathland to scrub in south-eastern Tasmania, Australia between c1976 and 2013; (2) the spatial attributes of heathland that are likely to have been the most instrumental in heathland loss; (3) whether the transition to scrub resulted in the loss of local species richness and changed species composition when taking both above ground vegetation and the soil seed bank into account; and (4) the implications of the answers to the first three questions for heathland management. Changes in heathland and scrub extent were mapped from remote sensing imagery and ground truthing. At one locality with floristic data from the heathland of 1976, the scrub that has replaced the heathland was surveyed and soil collected to determine seed banks under heating and non-heating treatments. Approximately one third of the 1976 heathland had become scrub by 2013, mostly around the margins of heathland patches and near built up areas. Twenty-two species present in 1976 were not found in either the scrub or seed bank, with only three species absent from the scrub, but present in the 1976 heath, being found in the seed bank. The species composition of germinates in the unheated treatment was dominated by taxa that colonise mechanically disturbed areas, such as Juncus, while germinates in the heat treated soils were largely scleromorphic heath species. The depletion of species richness by the transition to scrub, and the large extent of its 123Biodivers Conserv (2015) 24:213-228 DOI 10.1007 incidence, suggest that a higher frequency of planned fire is needed in south-eastern Tasmania.

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Effects of heat and smoke on germination of soil-stored seed in a south-eastern Australian sand heathland

Cited by 42 publications

References 35 publications

Soil seed bank dynamics in post-fire heathland succession in south-eastern Australia

Soil seed bank dynamics in post-fire heathland succession in south-eastern Australia

Smoke and heat: influence on seedling emergence from the germinable soil seed bank of mesic grassland in South Africa

Transition from heathland to scrub in south-eastern Tasmania: extent of change since the 1970s, floristic depletion and management implications

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