Quantifying the short-term flowering after fire in some plant communities of a cerrado grassland

Author(s)

Pilon, Natashi A. L. ^[1] ; Hoffmann, William A. ^[2] ; Abreu, Rodolfo C. R. ^[2] ; Durigan, Giselda ^{[1, 3]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] North Carolina State Univ, Dept Plant & Microbial Biol, Raleigh, NC - USA

^[3] Inst Florestal, Floresta Estadual Assis, Lab Ecol & Hidrol Florestal, Assis - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Plant Ecology & Diversity; v. 11, n. 3, p. 259-266, 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Background: Fire has been reported to trigger the production of flowers and fruits in many fire-prone ecosystems around the world. However, for tropical savannas, little is known about the effects of fire on flower production at community and species scale, especially for the ground-layer.Aims: We assessed the role of fire as a trigger to short-term flowering in cerrado grassland, compared with unburned vegetation.Methods: We recorded the presence of flowers or fruits in 2,441 individuals from 47 plant species (grasses, forbs and subshrubs), during 6 months after fire, in burned and unburned areas of cerrado grasslands, in south-eastern Brazil.Results: In the burned areas, 63% of individuals sampled flowered, in contrast to 19% in unburned areas, demonstrating a strong and positive effect of fire on plant communities of cerrado grasslands. Fire significantly induced flowering in 79% of the studied species, of which 20 species flowered only after fire (nine grasses, seven subshrubs and four forbs).Conclusions: These results highlight the role of fire triggering important ecological processes in the cerrado grasslands, potentially benefiting seed production and genetic diversity of many species. Fire is a crucial factor to be maintained for conservation of these ecosystems and their biodiversity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/17888-2 - Effects of prescribed burning and frost on plant diversity and structure in Cerrado ground layer
• Grantee: Natashi Aparecida Lima Pilon
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate