Variation in Grass Flammability Traits Across Cerrado ecoregion

• Grant number: 25/17655-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Natashi Aparecida Lima Pilon
• Grantee: Gabriel Rubertone Vedovello
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/15038-8 - Fire management for effective biodiversity conservation in Brazilian savannas under current and future climate, AP.JP

Abstract

Grasses play a critical role in maintaining the fire feedback mechanisms that characterize open ecosystems. However, the extent to which flammability traits vary across different climatic conditions and contribute to the observed fire frequencies in tropical open ecosystems remains largely unexplored in tropical open ecosystems, specifically in the Cerrado. This project addresses this knowledge gap by investigating how flammability in grass communities changes across varying climates in Cerrado open ecosystems and whether these variations correlate with differences in fire frequency across locations. We hypothesize that grass community flammability will decrease with increasing aridity and/or the severity of the dry season. To test this, we work with key plant traits related to flammability, such as grass bulk density, leaf length, and leaf width, already collected in permanent plots at six different locations. Additionally, we will conduct flammability trials in the laboratory on dominant grass species from each location. This research will provide valuable insights into the adaptive strategies of grasses and their role in the fire dynamics of tropical open ecosystems. (AU)