Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorFebruary, Edmund Cen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorBond, William Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorCoetsee, Corlien_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-13T14:17:14Z
dc.date.available2014-08-13T14:17:14Z
dc.date.issued2007en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 118-139).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractFire with herbivory, climate, and soil properties including nutrients are said to be important in regulating the structure and function of savanna ecosystems. Frequent fire is often held responsible for a decrease in nitrogen pools and availability and the maintenance of low fertility conditions. However, previous research in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and elsewhere found conflicting results for the effects of fire on nitrogen pools and transformation rates. The main aim of this study was to gain a better understanding ofthe long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in the KNP. The KNP provided an ideal opportunity for this study because of the initiation of a fire experiment in 1954. The Experimental Bum Plot (EBP) experiment was initiated in four representative landscapes of the KNP to determine the effects of fire on vegetation structure. I tested the effect of burning on nitrogen cycling and productivity in four fire treatments situated in Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld (broad-leaf savanna). The fire treatments included a late winter, annual bum (August), late winter and summer triennial bums (August and February) and a fire exclusion treatment. Total soil nitrogen, available nitrogen, woody biomass and herbaceous production were measured. 1 hypothesized that vegetation adapted to low N conditions with low N foliage would be expected to dominate in frequently burnt areas if fire was to decrease N pools and fluxes.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationCoetsee, C. (2007). <i>Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6242en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationCoetsee, Corli. <i>"Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6242en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationCoetsee, C. 2007. Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Coetsee, Corli AB - Fire with herbivory, climate, and soil properties including nutrients are said to be important in regulating the structure and function of savanna ecosystems. Frequent fire is often held responsible for a decrease in nitrogen pools and availability and the maintenance of low fertility conditions. However, previous research in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and elsewhere found conflicting results for the effects of fire on nitrogen pools and transformation rates. The main aim of this study was to gain a better understanding ofthe long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in the KNP. The KNP provided an ideal opportunity for this study because of the initiation of a fire experiment in 1954. The Experimental Bum Plot (EBP) experiment was initiated in four representative landscapes of the KNP to determine the effects of fire on vegetation structure. I tested the effect of burning on nitrogen cycling and productivity in four fire treatments situated in Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld (broad-leaf savanna). The fire treatments included a late winter, annual bum (August), late winter and summer triennial bums (August and February) and a fire exclusion treatment. Total soil nitrogen, available nitrogen, woody biomass and herbaceous production were measured. 1 hypothesized that vegetation adapted to low N conditions with low N foliage would be expected to dominate in frequently burnt areas if fire was to decrease N pools and fluxes. DA - 2007 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2007 T1 - Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa TI - Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6242 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6242
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationCoetsee C. Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2007 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6242en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBotanyen_ZA
dc.titleLong-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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