| Grant number: | 19/09903-0 |
| Support Opportunities: | Regular Research Grants |
| Start date: | October 01, 2019 |
| End date: | September 30, 2021 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Botany - Applied Botany |
| Agreement: | NERC, UKRI |
| Principal Investigator: | Alessandra Tomaselli Fidelis |
| Grantee: | Alessandra Tomaselli Fidelis |
| Principal researcher abroad: | Gerhard Leubner |
| Institution abroad: | University of London , England |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil |
| City of the host institution: | Rio Claro |
| Associated researchers: | Aline Redondo Martins ; Rosana Marta Kolb |
| Associated research grant: | 15/06743-0 - How does fire season affect Cerrado vegetation?, AP.JP |
Abstract
Wildfires are a global phenomenon affecting many ecosystems and together with climate change shapes their vegetation and cause damage to property and livelihoods. Germination from seed after fire is a global phenomenon. It has evolved multiple times, is widespread across the phylogenetic tree, can be associated with distinct seed dormancy mechanisms, and its ecology has been well studied in "Mediterranean-type" fire-prone ecosystems. Far less is known about "Non-Mediterranean-type" fire-prone ecosystems such as the Australian South-East and the Brazilian Cerrado. The Cerrado is a prime example for a fire-prone natural savanna eco-system, it harbours plant species with unique adaptations and is a neotropical biodiversity hotspot with a high proportion of endemic species . Global predictions for increased fire risk under a warming climate highlight the urgent need for a more sustainable coexistence with fire. More frequent weather extremes such as heatwaves come with increased risk of wildfires especially in regions which are normally not burning. Many species from fire-prone regions ensure plant regeneration from soil-stored seed banks with smoke-derived chemicals and/or fire-generated heat-shock as germination cues. These works also suggest that as the Australian South-East, also the Cerrado savanna differs from "Mediterranean-type" fire-prone ecosystems; very little is known about fire-adapted seed traits. (AU)
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