Fire as a global ‘herbivore’: the ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems

Bond, William J.; Keeley, Jon E.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2005.04.025

Cited by 1,905 publications

(1,529 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Functional evenness and FDiv were both poorly predicted by soil variables under high and intermediate fire frequency conditions. Fire acts as a nonselective herbivore, reducing biomass and, consequently, competition (Bond & Keeley 2005). Therefore, functional complementarity is diminished under higher fire frequency conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of fire history and soil properties on plant species richness and functional diversity in a neotropical savanna

2013

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Differences in plant species richness and composition are associated with soil properties and disturbances such as fire, which can therefore be key determinants of species occurrence in savanna plant communities. We measured species richness, using nine plant functional traits and abundance to calculate three functional diversity indices. We then used model selection analyses to select the best model for predicting functional diversity and richness based on soil variables at sites with three different fire frequencies. We also calculated the community-weighted mean of each trait and used ordination to examine how traits changed across fire frequencies. We found higher species richness and functional dispersion at sites that were more fertile and where fire was frequent, and the opposite at such sites where fire was infrequent. However, soil properties influenced functional evenness and divergence only where fire was infrequent, with higher values where soils were poorer. Fire can change functional traits directly by hindering development of plants and indirectly by altering competition. Different fire frequencies lead to different plant-soil relationships, which can affect the functioning of tropical savanna communities. Functional diversity components and functional identity of the communities are both affected by fire frequency and soil conditions. Keywords: cerrado; complementarity; fertility effect; plant traits; soil nitrogen Acta Botanica Brasilica 27(3): 490-497. 2013.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of fire history and soil properties on plant species richness and functional diversity in a neotropical savanna

2013

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“…Landscapes that experience prolonged dry conditions, such as Mediterranean, grassland savannah and even some forest areas, are prone to fire damage (Bond & Keeley, 2005). It is, therefore, surprising that this study appears to be the first to consider post-fire recolonization of plant-associated fungi.…”

Section: Recolonization Of Recently Burnt Areasmentioning

confidence: 94%

Long-distance dispersal and recolonization of a fire-destroyed niche by a mite-associated fungus

et al. 2015

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The Fynbos Biome in the Core Cape Subregion of South Africa is prone to recurrent fires that can clear vast areas of vegetation. Between periods of fire, ophiostomatoid fungi colonize the fruiting structures of serotinous Protea species through arthropod-mediated dispersal. Using microsatellite markers, this study considered the process whereby a Protea-associated ophiostomatoid fungus, Knoxdaviesia proteae, recolonizes a burnt area. The genetic diversity, composition and structure of fungal populations from young P. repens plants in a recently burnt area were compared to populations from the adjacent, unburnt Protea population. The only difference between K. proteae populations from the two areas was found in the number of private alleles, which was significantly higher in the unburnt population. The population structure, although weak, indicated that most K. proteae 1 individuals from recently burnt areas originated from the unburnt population. However, individuals from unsampled source populations were also detected. This, together with the lack of isolation-by-distance across the landscape, suggested that long-distance dispersal is important for K. proteae to recolonize burnt areas. Similarly, the high level of gene flow and low differentiation observed between two distantly separated K. proteae populations also supported the existence of long-distance dispersal. The genetic cohesiveness of populations over long distances and the genetic diversity within populations could be attributed to frequent multiple fungal migration events mediated primarily by arthropods but, potentially, also by birds.

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“…According to Belsky (1994), in Africa, the fire occurrence in moist savannas is one every 1 2 years, while in dry savanna it is one every 3 to 10 years. For Brazilian cerrados and the wetter regions of Africa (the most frequently burnt ecosystems in the world) Bond and Keeley (2005) report values of the fire frequency that reaches a maximum of 2 y -1 . Here, we consider f | 0 1.2 y -1 .…”

Section: Values Of the Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree–grass co-existence in savanna: Interactions of rain and fire

Accatino

Michele

Vezzoli

et al. 2010

Journal of Theoretical Biology

116

105

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The mechanisms permitting the co-existence of tree and grass in savannas have been a source of contention for many years. The two main classes of explanations involve either competition for resources, or differential sensitivity to disturbances. Published models focus principally on one or the other of these mechanisms. Here we introduce a simple ecohydrologic model of savanna vegetation involving both competition for water, and differential sensitivity of trees and grasses to fire disturbances. We show how the coexistence of trees and grasses in savannas can be simultaneously controlled by rainfall and fire, and how the relative importance of the two factors distinguishes between dry and moist savannas. The stability map allows to predict the changes in vegetation structure along gradients of rainfall and fire disturbances realistically, and to clarify the distinction between climate-and disturbance-dependent ecosystems.

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Fire as a global ‘herbivore’: the ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems

Cited by 1,905 publications

References 66 publications

Influence of fire history and soil properties on plant species richness and functional diversity in a neotropical savanna

Influence of fire history and soil properties on plant species richness and functional diversity in a neotropical savanna

Long-distance dispersal and recolonization of a fire-destroyed niche by a mite-associated fungus

Tree–grass co-existence in savanna: Interactions of rain and fire

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