Post-fire summer rainfall differentially affects reseeder and resprouter population recovery in fire-prone shrublands of South Africa

Blerk, Justin J. van; West, Adam G.; Altwegg, Res; Hoffman, Margaret

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147699

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The presence of Restionaceae, which is a diagnostic character of fynbos is also lowest during the Stoebe/Elytropappus dominated phases (Figure 4), which could be consistent with an expansion and greater dominance of Renosterveld elements in this phase. This could be consistent with van Blerk et al (2021b), who show that Renosterveld benefits more than fynbos from reduced summer drought and less seasonal rainfall. However, the fynbos discrimination value of 5% Restionaceae groundcover defined by Rebelo et al (2006), cannot be reliably assessed without pollen-vegetation calibration studies, which are to date unavailable.…”

Section: Stoebe/elytropappus Type Dominance Between Ad 900-1100 (Zone...supporting

confidence: 89%

“…Quartzitic sandstones of the Table Mountain Group dominate the high-lying areas while at lower elevations in the region, shales and siltstones of the Bokkeveld Group are common. The area is semi-arid with a mean annual rainfall of between 300-400 mm, 56% of which falls in winter (van Blerk et al 2021b). Mean annual temperature is 13⁰C.…”

Section: Study Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term vegetation response to rainfall seasonality and fire in the heathlands and shrublands of the Cape Floristic Region (SW South Africa)

Manzano

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et al. 2023

Global and Planetary Change

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Section: Stoebe/elytropappus Type Dominance Between Ad 900-1100 (Zone...supporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Study Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term vegetation response to rainfall seasonality and fire in the heathlands and shrublands of the Cape Floristic Region (SW South Africa)

Manzano

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Chase

et al. 2023

Global and Planetary Change

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“…It is only in the spring when both water and nutrients (particularly nitrate) are available when foliar function (and resultant growth) occurs. Such limited plasticity in foliar function in P. repens is consistent with its limited growth responses to experimental changes in seasonal moisture availability reported in a recent prior study(van Blerk et al 2021a). Our study adds to the body of research indicating that 1) co-occurring fynbos species rely on subtly different water sources, which may confer differential sensitivity to changing climate, and that 2) simplifying the extra-ordinary species diversity of the region into key functional types such as proteoid, ericoid and restioid provides consistent functional responses to change.…”

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confidence: 89%

Consistent responses to moisture stress within diverse mountain fynbos communities revealed by multi-year in situ physiological measurements

Skelton

West

Buttner

et al. 2022

Preprint

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● Understanding climate change impacts on the Cape Floristic Region requires improved knowledge of plant physiological responses to the environment. Prior studies examining physiological responses of fynbos species have consisted of campaign-based measurements, capturing snapshots in time of plant water relations and photosynthesis. We examine conclusions drawn from these studies by tracking in situ physiological responses of three species, representing three dominant growth forms (proteoid, ericoid, restioid), over two years using miniature continuous sap flow technology, in combination with long-term observations of xylem water potentials, gas exchange and assessments of xylem vulnerability to embolism. ● We observed considerable inter-specific variation in the timing and extent of dehydration-induced declines in productivity. Erica monsoniana (a shallow-rooted ericoid) exhibited steep within-season declines in sap flow and water potentials, and pronounced inter-annual variability in total daily sap flux (Js). Protea repens showed steady reductions in Js across both years, despite maintaining less negative water potentials. Cannomois congesta - a shallow-rooted restioid - was least negatively impacted. Following rehydrating rain at the end of summer we compared gas exchange recovery in the representative dry year with the normal year, finding significant seasonal, but not species, effects. Loss of function in the drier year was partially accounted for by loss of stem xylem transport capacity, but only in E. monsoniana and C. congesta. ● Hitherto unseen water-use patterns, including inter-annual variability of gas exchange that were driven by contrasting water uptake properties, reveal that mountain fynbos species use different mechanisms to cope with summer dry periods.

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“…When fires occur during or after drought and/or heatwave conditions, resprouting success may be reduced (Bendall et al, 2022a;Pratt et al, 2014but see Enright et al, 2014van Blerk et al, 2021). Reduced water availability had varied impacts on resprouting success in severely water-stressed Quercus species (Resco de Dios et al, 2020), while Pratt et al (2014) found variable plant survival following drought and fire among chaparral shrubs.…”

Section: Soil Conditions Influenced Resprouter Survival and Vigourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of post‐fire resprouting success in restored Banksia woodlands

Cowan,

Fontaine,

Standish

et al. 2023

Austral Ecology

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Disturbances can alter persistence trajectories of restored ecosystems. Resprouting is a common response of plants to disturbances such as fire or herbivory. Therefore, understanding a plant's resprouting response can inform successful restoration. We investigated patterns and drivers of resprouting following fire in fire‐prone Banksia woodlands restored after sand mining in the Mediterranean‐climate region of Western Australia. We applied experimental fire to samples of nine species with different resprouting types (rhizome, root crown, root sucker and lignotuber) across a 4‐ to 27‐year‐old restoration chronosequence. We investigated the influence of pre‐fire plant size, restoration age and soil conditions on resprouting success, defined by: (i) the probability of resprouting (measured ~5 months after fire), (ii) the probability of surviving the first summer and, (iii) vigour (both measured ~12 months post‐fire). We found that the probability of initial resprouting was high across most species, but summer survival was lower but comparable to that in other post‐mining restored ecosystems following fire. Generally, pre‐fire plant size did not influence probability of resprouting, while size and soil conditions were important for two species survival. Pre‐fire plant size was a significant predictor of vigour for all species with soil conditions influencing four species. Restoration age significantly influenced survival of three species. However, as our models explained low amounts of variation in probabilities of resprouting and survival (R2 = <0.11), other factors influencing resprouting success remain unidentified. Resprouting response to fire disturbance in restored Banksia woodlands are species and resprouter type specific, with plant size and soil conditions potentially more informative for understanding responses to disturbances than restoration age alone.

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Post-fire summer rainfall differentially affects reseeder and resprouter population recovery in fire-prone shrublands of South Africa

Cited by 13 publications

References 43 publications

Long-term vegetation response to rainfall seasonality and fire in the heathlands and shrublands of the Cape Floristic Region (SW South Africa)

Long-term vegetation response to rainfall seasonality and fire in the heathlands and shrublands of the Cape Floristic Region (SW South Africa)

Consistent responses to moisture stress within diverse mountain fynbos communities revealed by multi-year in situ physiological measurements

Drivers of post‐fire resprouting success in restored Banksia woodlands

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