Influence of fire severity in fynbos plant communities and mode of regeneration in the southern Cape Peninsula

Retief, Kirsten

Influence of fire severity in fynbos plant communities and mode of regeneration in the southern Cape Peninsula

Bachelor Thesis

2011

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Abstract

Fire severity influences species diversity and alters species habitat requirements, therefore it is important to understand what effect severity has on fynbos communities. The smallest twig diameter of burnt skeletons was used as a severity index and compared between two fire events for 9 permanently marked plots on the southern Cape Peninsula. Species diversity, richness and composition were analysed for one year and eight years after a fire event in 2000 and 3 years after a fire event in 2008. Twig diameters for Erica, Leucadendron, Rhus and Acacia species were significantly greater for the 2008 fire than the 2000 fire event, indicating that the fire was more severe in 2008. The ratio of reseeders to resprouters changed from 8:2 in 2001 and 2008 to 7:3 in 2011 post the second fire event. Thus resprouters were not negatively affected by increased fire severity. Ericoid reseeders appeared to favour more intense fires. Succession of fynbos communities had a greater influence on species diversity, richness and composition than fire severity. Thus fire severity does not influence fynbos communities and factors that influence species survival between fire events, such as succession or alien plant invasions, may be more influential than fire severity.

Keywords

Botany

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