Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The fire-prone mediterranean-type climate regions of the world are immensely biodiverse.
Changes in fire frequency due to anthropogenic ignitions and climate change are one of the
factors threatening the plant diversity of these regions. Many postfire regeneration studies
have focused on seedling recruitment, whereas much can still be learned about regeneration
through resprouting. This project focused on resprouters after a fire and assessed if there
are differences between the obligate (OS) and facultative (FS) resprouting life history types.
OS species have to resprout after fire, as their seeds are not fire resistant and seedling
recruitment takes place in fire-free periods, whereas FS species have the ability to resprout
and recruit seedlings after a fire.
My analyses found a significant difference in postfire resprout success between OS
species and FS species, supporting the division of woody resprouting shrubs into these two
life history types. OS species had minimal fire-related mortality and this was related to their
ability to resprout early and vigorously after fire. OS species had no postfire mortality, which
points to traits that enable them to endure the hot and dry summer months. The FS species
varied in their response to fire and had greater fire induced mortality than the OS species.
Postfire mortality (post-sprouting) was also greater compared to OS species, especially
towards the end of the long dry summer suggesting a link to water stress.
A postfire seedling survey of target FS, OS and non-sprouters (NS), revealed that
NS species had seedling/adult ratios that were orders of magnitude higher ranging between
40-200 seedlings per adult against less than 1-10 seedlings per adults for FS, with OS
species recruiting no seedlings directly postfire, as is consistent with their life history type.
Although the NS species do not sprout and the FS species had some mortality, the
population was at or above replacement two-year postfire on account of seedling
recruitment. OS species maintained their pre-fire population by successfully resprouting and
by experiencing almost no postfire mortality. These results provide strong justification for
grouping woody resprouters into OS and FS species in future studies seeking to understand
the underlying differences in postfire recovery.
Postfire flowering phenology was also observed during the two year study period.
Geophytes, mostly belonging to the Iridaceae and Orchidaceae were overrepresented within
the first year postfire, many displaying fire-stimulated flowering. This suggests that some
geophytes limit their reproductive cycle to the immediate postfire environment, when
nutrients and light are abundant. Smaller resprouting shrubs generally flowered earlier than larger resprouting shrubs. Many non-sprouting shrubs did not reach maturity within the study
period and those that did mostly belonged to the Fabaceae and Asteraceae families. This study added 71 species to the existing Paarl Mountain species list, including eight new red
listed species, highlighting the importance of early postfire field surveys. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Veldbrande is ‘n natuurlike verskynsel in die meditereense klimaatstreke van die wereld.
Hierdie areas is ook bekend vir hulle ryk biodiversiteit. Veranderinge in die vuur frekwensie
as gevolg van klimaatsverandering en veldbrande wat deur mense veroorsaak word, bedreig
die plantdiversiteit van hierdie streke. Vorige veldbrandstudies het meestal gefokus op
saailinge en daar bestaan ‘n groot leemte om regenerasie deur herspruiting beter te
verstaan. Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op herspruiting van fynbos plante as ‘n
oorlewingstrategie na ‘n veldbrand. Spesifiek word daar gekyk na verskille tussen verpligte
(VH) en nie-verpligte (fakultatiewe) herspruiters (FH). VH spesies moet herspruit na vuur om
hulle populasie stabiel te hou, aangesien hulle saad nie vuurbestand is nie. FH spesies het
die vermoë om te herspruit sowel as saailinge te werf na ‘n brand.
Die studie bevindinge dui op betekenisvolle verskille tussen hierdie twee
lewensgeskiedenistipes en regverdig die groepering van houtagtige herspruiter spesies as
VH of FH. VH het minimale mortaliteit getoon na die veldbrand. Bykans alle plante het
vinnig en kragtig herspruit. VH besit ook eienskappe wat hulle in staat stel om die warm,
droeë somers te oorleef. Die oorlewing van FH was wisselvallig, met mortaliteit as gevolg
van direkte vuurskade en verdere mortaliteit gedurende die lang somermaande, moonlik as
gevolg van water stress.
‘n Saailingstudie van VH, FH en ook nie-spruiters (NS) het getoon dat die
saailing/volwasse verhoudings van NS ordes hoër is as die van FH. VH het geen saailinge
direk na die vuur geproduseer nie. Twee jaar na die vuur was FH en NS saailing getalle
steeds heelwat meer as die aantal volwasse plante wat dood is in die veldbrand. VH het hul
populasie stabiliteit gehandhaaf deurdat alle volwasse plante suksesvol herspruit het.
Hierdie bevindinge regverdig die verdeling van herspruitende fynbos spesies as VH of FH.
Verdere studies is belangrik om die onderliggende ekofisiologiese verskille tussen die twee
lewensgeskiedenistipes beter te verstaan.
Die blompatrone van verskillende spesies is ook aangeteken tydens die tweejaar
studieperiode. Bolplante, veral in die iris- (Iridaceae) en orgidee (Orchidaceae) families het
oorheers gedurende die eerste jaar na die brand, aanduidend van ‘n vuur-gestimuleerde
blompatroon. Sommige bolplante mag hul voorplantingssiklus beperk tot die periode direk na
veldbrand, terwyl daar genoeg lig is en die grond verryk is met voedingsstowwe. Kleiner
herspruitende struike het in die algemeen vroeër geblom as groter struike. Nieherspruitende
struike het meestal nie seksuele volwassenheid bereik binne twee jaar na die
veldbrand nie, buiten sommige in die ertjie- (Fabaceae) en asterfamilies (Asteraceae). Die studie het 71 nuwe spesies tot die bestaande Paarlberg spesielys gevoeg, waarvan agt
rooidataspesies was, wat die waarde van plantopnames direk na ‘n veldbrand beklemtoon.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71964 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Marais, Karen E. |
| Contributors | Esler, Karen J., Jacobs, Shayne M., Pratt, R. Brandon, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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