Regeneration Strategies in Fynbos Plants and Their Influence on the Stability of Community Boundaries After Fire

Wilgen, Brian W. van; Forsyth, Greg G.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-76174-4_4

Cited by 50 publications

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“…Very short fire return intervals can eliminate obligate reseeding shrubs if their juvenile periods are longer than the fire return interval (Noble & Slatyer 1980, Van Wilgen & Forsyth 1992. In order to assess fire return intervals, we delimited areas of unique fire history by overlaying fire records for the park (De Klerk et al 2007).…”

Section: Fire Return Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The juvenile periods of these species are not accurately known but are presumably similar to species of Proteaceae elsewhere (i.e. three to six years) (Van Wilgen & Forsyth 1992). Comparison of distribution data (Protea Atlas 2007) with the extent of shortinterval fires (Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The thresholds for fire frequency and season can be determined by plant species' sensitivity to elements of the fire regime. Significant shifts in any of these elements may eliminate some species (Van Wilgen & Forsyth 1992). If these shifts manifest themselves over large areas, management action would be required to counter these trends.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…For example, Van Wilgen and Forsyth (1992) established the regeneration strategies of 210 co-occurring fynbos species; of these, most were able to resprout after fire, and only 29 species were classified as obligate seeders (species that have their growth cycle terminated prematurely by fire and are unable to sprout). Large, serotinous shrubs with relatively long juvenile periods are an important component among obligate seeders.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These species, typically in the family Proteaceae, are killed by fire and rely on canopy-stored seed for regeneration (Bond, Vlok & Viviers 1984). While only a small proportion of the total number of species fall into this category (Van Wilgen & Forsyth 1992), they can be the dominant component (in terms of cover and biomass) of the vegetation. Short intervals between fires (less than the juvenile periods) can eliminate these species from the vegetation and cause dramatic structural changes (Van Wilgen 1982).…”

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confidence: 99%

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The recent fire history of the Table Mountain National Park and implications for fire management

Forsyth

Wilgen

2008

Koedoe

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This paper provides an assessment of fire regimes in the Table Mountain National Park over the past four decades. We compiled a GIS database of all fires between 1970 and 2007 and analysed the fire regime in terms of the frequency, season and size of fires and the relationship between fire occurrence and fire weather. Most fires (90.5% of area burnt) occurred in summer and autumn, the ecologically acceptable season for fires. However, mean fire return intervals declined by 18.1 years, from 31.6 to 13.5 years, between the first and last decades of the record respectively. The area subjected to short (≤ six years) intervals between fires covered > 16% of the park in the last two decades of the record, compared to ~ 4% in the first two decades. A relatively small number of large fires dominated in terms of area burnt. Of the 373 fires recorded, 40 fires > 300 ha burnt 75% of the area, while 216 fires < 25 ha burnt 3.4% of the area. Fires occurred under a wide range of weather conditions, but large fires were restricted to periods of high fire danger. Prescribed burning was a relatively unimportant cause of fires, and most (> 85%) of the area burnt in wildfires. Areas subjected to short fire return intervals should be considered for management interventions. These could include the re-establishment of extirpated fire-sensitive species, the clearing of invasive alien plants and increased precautions for the prevention or rapid suppression of future accidental fires.

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Section: Fire Return Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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The recent fire history of the Table Mountain National Park and implications for fire management

Forsyth

Wilgen

2008

Koedoe

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Congruence between arthropod and plant diversity in a biodiversity hotspot largely driven by underlying abiotic factors

Schalkwyk

Pryke

Samways

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Plants often form the basis of conservation planning and management. The effectiveness of plant diversity as a surrogate for arthropod diversity was assessed in natural areas in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a floral endemism hotspot in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa. Arthropods and plants were sampled across 30 topographically heterogeneous sites in a spatially nested design. The relationship between plants and arthropods were quantified in terms of species richness, assemblage variation, and assemblage turnover. The influence of arthropod trophic groups, habitat association, and spatial scale were also explored. Generalized dissimilarity modelling was used to investigate differential influence of explanatory groups (geology, disturbance, local site characteristics, refuge, mesoclimate, terrain) on arthropod and plant turnover. Congruence in assemblage variation was restricted to local scales, and only present between plants and those arthropods associated with the foliar component of the habitat. Weak congruence in species turnover was due to differences in the relative importance of explanatory groups, with different variables within each explanatory group being important, and similar variables predicting different turnover patterns. For both groups, variables related to geology and fire history were important for assemblage turnover. These variables are already incorporated in conservation planning and management for plant diversity across the CFR. Overall plant diversity was a weak surrogate for the arthropod groups included in this study, suggesting that as an alternative, environmental surrogates for arthropod diversity perform better.

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Seed-Germination Patterns in Fire-Prone Mediterranean-Climate Regions

Keeley¹

1995

Ecological Studies

102

103

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Regeneration Strategies in Fynbos Plants and Their Influence on the Stability of Community Boundaries After Fire

Cited by 50 publications

References 0 publications

The recent fire history of the Table Mountain National Park and implications for fire management

The recent fire history of the Table Mountain National Park and implications for fire management

Congruence between arthropod and plant diversity in a biodiversity hotspot largely driven by underlying abiotic factors

Seed-Germination Patterns in Fire-Prone Mediterranean-Climate Regions

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