The post-fire response of an obligate seeding Triodia species (Poaceae) in the fire-prone Kimberley, north-west Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Armstrong ◽  
Sarah Legge
Keyword(s):  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Fire Response ◽  
North West ◽  
Conflicting Evidence ◽  
Regeneration Response ◽  
Fire Intervals ◽  
Vegetation Layer ◽  
Experimental Plots ◽  
Survival Of Seedlings

Triodia spp. have been described as behaving functionally as a shrub because above ground biomass accumulates slowly over time culminating as the dominant vegetation layer. When combined with high flammability, little seed dormancy and conflicting evidence for fire induced seed germination, obligate seeding species may be more vulnerable to short fire intervals than resprouting species. This study investigated the post-fire regeneration response of the obligate seeder Triodia sp. nov. (aff. T. schinzii Henrard) in the fire prone Kimberley, Western Australia. Adult plants were destroyed by fire in experimental plots to assess the degree of regeneration from either resprouting or germination from seed due to fire. To control for the removal of adults, without fire, plants were pulled out by hand in replicate plots. Germination of Triodia sp. nov. seed from the soil seed bank was strongly induced by fire. Establishment and survival of seedlings through the first dry season was high with a small proportion of individuals flowering at this time. It is concluded that Triodia sp. nov. is resilient to the short fire intervals experienced in the Kimberley where it is a successful localised species.

UPLIFT AND EROSION ON THE ASHMORE PLATFORM, NORTH WEST SHELF: CONFLICTING EVIDENCE FROM MATURATION INDICATORS.

1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 333
Author(s):  
G.R. Beardsmore ◽  
P.B. O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Vitrinite Reflectance ◽  
Temperature Drop ◽  
Late Triassic ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Conflicting Evidence ◽  
Uplift And Erosion ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Track Analysis

The Ashmore Platform is situated to the north of the Browse Basin, on the North West Shelf, off the coast of Western Australia. Apatite fission track analysis (AFTA™), vitrinite reflectance and fluo­rescence alteration of multiple macerals (FAMM) measurements were undertaken on drill cuttings material recovered from the Late Triassic sequence of the oil exploration well, Ashmore Reef-1.Vitrinite reflectance measurements indicate that the Late Triassic sequence is currently experienc­ing maximum temperature. However, reflectance methods were suspected of being unreliable due to suppression of the reflectance, a common problem when dealing with marine influenced sediments. The FAMM technique was used to provide an alter­native maturity estimate using the same speci­mens. The FAMM results suggested that vitrinite reflectance is suppressed and that the true matu­rity is higher than conventional reflectance mea­surements predict.The results also suggest that some of the cuttings material from the sampled level is contaminated by material from higher in the Late Triassic sequence. Both the AFTA™ and FAMM data show bi-modal populations from some depths. It was possible to distinguish between the two populations and esti­mate the maturity of the caved material. FAMM and AFTA™ results together imply that maximum palaeotemperature was reached in the Mid-Creta­ceous, corresponding to a major unconformity in the well.The FAMM results do not agree with published maturity estimates based on conodont alteration indices (CAI), which suggest that temperatures have only recently and rapidly reached current levels. The AFTA™ results can also be interpreted to support this model. Furthermore, sonic velocity data in Miocene limestone suggests post-Miocene erosion, which would be expected to be associated with a temperature drop.

The performance of subterranean vetch (Vicia sativa ssp. amphicarpa) in a cereal/pasture rotation in north-west Syria

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Street ◽  
A. M. Abd El Moneim ◽  
P. S. Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Vicia Sativa ◽  
Dramatic Reduction ◽  
North West ◽  
Fold Reduction ◽  
Ley Farming

The aim of this study was to determine if subterranean vetch can persist in a cereal–legume ley farming system and to determine when it is most susceptible to grazing. Grazing treatments were applied to a series of plots containing subterranean vetch during the establishment year. Thereafter the plots were alternately sown to barley or left for the vetch to regenerate. Early grazing caused a seed yield reduction of about 75%. Later grazing treatments had no effect on seed yield, which were between 1000 and 1400 kg/ha. The first cereal phase caused a 6–10-fold reduction in seed bank size. During the 2 years following the first barley year, the seed bank increased to about 900 kg/ha. The second barley year caused a 4-fold reduction in the soil seed bank. Although subterranean vetch managed to persist for 5 years, the dramatic reduction in the seed bank after the barley years indicates that subterranean vetch will not persist at a useful density in a system where 2 or more cropping years run successively. However, other studies have shown that there are enough genotypes with the necessary levels of hardseededness to fit the ley system.

Long-term studies of post-fire reproduction in an Australian shrubland and woodland

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 339 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Harvey ◽  
A. J. M. Hopkins ◽  
M. A. Langley ◽  
C. R. Gosper ◽  
M. R. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Fire Response ◽  
Return Times ◽  
Fire Intervals ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Western Australian ◽  
Tests Of Hypotheses ◽  
Long Term Studies ◽  
Response Traits

Identifying appropriate fire-return times is critical for management of temperate southern Australia’s fire-prone shrublands and woodlands. The time to first flowering and peak flowering are useful attributes for understanding how species and vegetation will respond to different fire intervals. Using a plant fire-response trait framework, we investigate patterns of reproduction in south-western Australian kwongan and woodland after prescribed fires with a 30-year longitudinal study, with the aim of identifying appropriate fire intervals. Modelling of post-fire flowering responses of species and aggregating responses into plant functional types showed substantial differences in the time after fire to first and peak flowering. Tests of hypotheses of flowering patterns after fire with different fire-response traits showed that (1) resprouters flower sooner than recruits of non-resprouters, (2) serotinous non-resprouters reach first and peak flowering later than do non-resprouters with soil-stored seed, (3) species in taller strata reach first and peak flowering later than those in lower strata and (4) geophytes flower earlier than other resprouters that lose their aboveground biomass in fire. The most fire interval-sensitive non-resprouting serotinous species take 15–20 years in kwongan to reach peak flowering and in Allocasuarina woodland 25–30 years, providing a working hypothesis for minimum fire intervals in the plant communities under investigation. Our study illustrates the value of long-term ecological studies for informing biodiversity management.

The ecology of the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus L. Distribution of the tick in relation to geology, soil and vegetation in northern England

Parasitology ◽  
1944 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 186-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Milne
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Mechanical Analysis ◽  
Tick Population ◽  
North West ◽  
Tick Distribution ◽  
Mat Thickness ◽  
Surface Geology ◽  
Vegetation Layer

The present findings apply to a particular area, the four northern counties of England, and must be viewed within the limits of the data presented.Only one tick, Ixodes ricinus L., the so-called sheep tick, infests sheep and cattle in northern England. I. canisuga Johnston, alone or with I. ricinus, has been found on sheep dogs and foxes.The distribution of the sheep tick in this region is markedly discontinuous, the total infested areas including only about one-fifth of the hilly country, to which the tick is almost exclusively confined.In north-west Northumberland, tick distribution shows a significant degree of correlation with certain factors inherent in or influenced by the surface geology. Broadly speaking, where surface geology lends itself to relatively good natural drainage and soil, the grazing is relatively good and ticks are absent; and where surface geology results in relatively poor natural drainage and/or soil, the grazing is relatively poor (‘rough’) and ticks are present.No consistent correlations between soil characteristics—i.e. pH, available phosphates and potash, soil textures, mechanical analysis and soil depth—and tick distribution have been found. Nor is there a consistent correlation- between quality of natural drainage and tick distribution. The interaction of soil and natural drainage factors, however, profoundly influences the character of the vegetation layer.In the four northern counties, the same plant dominants occur on tick-infested and tick-free hill lands. Where grazing is rough ticks are usually present irrespective of whether the dominant plant is one of the rough grasses (Nardus, Molinia, Agrostis, Aira), bracken or heather; where grazing is relatively good (i.e. not rough), ticks are invariably absent.Observations on a smaller scale show that the thicker, i.e. rougher, the vegetation layer, the denser the tick population and also the thicker the vegetation layer, the thicker the basal mat. On five plots it has been shown that there is a consistent positive correlation between mat thickness and tick population density: the thicker the mat,’ the denser the tick population irrespective of whether bracken or grass is the dominant. Thus the chief controlling factor in tick distribution is the physical character of the vegetation layer.

Germination characteristics and the relationship between population structure, soil seed bank density and fire response in the rare endemic Stachystemon vinosus (Halford & R.J.F.Hend.) (Euphorbiaceae) from southern Western Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-134
Author(s):  
Brian J. Vincent ◽  
Sarah Barrett ◽  
Anne Cochrane ◽  
Michael Renton
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Fire Response ◽  
Germination Characteristics ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Rare Endemic ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe regeneration niche defines the specific environmental requirements of the early phases of a plant's life cycle. It is critical for the long-term persistence of plant populations, particularly for obligate seeders that are highly vulnerable to stochastic events in fire-prone ecosystems. Here, we assessed germination characteristics and the relationship between population structure, soil seed bank density and fire response in Stachystemon vinosus (Euphorbiaceae), a rare endemic shrub from Western Australia, from burnt and long unburnt habitats. Many plants in long unburnt habitat were similar in size to those in recently burnt habitat. Soil seed bank density was related to plant abundance and fire history with density lower in burnt than unburnt sites. Thus, inter-fire recruitment may play a critical role in the requirements of the study species. To assess the dormancy status and germination requirements we used a ‘move-along’ experiment with temperatures from six seasonal phases of the year. Seeds were incubated under light and dark conditions, with and without smoked water, and with and without dry after-ripening. Germination was most effective when seeds were treated with smoked water and incubated in the dark at temperatures resembling autumn/winter conditions. After-ripening increased germination in light and dark incubated seeds in the absence of smoked water but was unnecessary for optimal germination in smoked water treated seeds. Irrespective of treatment, seeds showed a requirement for cooler temperatures for germination. These results suggest that rising temperatures and changes in fire regime associated with global warming may alter future germination responses of Stachystemon vinosus.

scholarly journals Instantaneous Pre-Fire Biomass and Fuel Load Measurements from Multi-Spectral UAS Mapping in Southern African Savannas

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Tom Eames ◽  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Cameron Yates ◽  
Andrew Edwards ◽  
Roland Vernooij ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
North West ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Rainfall Region

Landscape fires are substantial sources of (greenhouse) gases and aerosols. Fires in savanna landscapes represent more than half of global fire carbon emissions. Quantifying emissions from fires relies on accurate burned area, fuel load and burning efficiency data. Of these, fuel load remains the source of the largest uncertainty. In this study, we used high spatial resolution images from an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) mounted multispectral camera, in combination with meteorological data from the ERA-5 land dataset, to model instantaneous pre-fire above-ground biomass. We constrained our model with ground measurements taken in two locations in savanna-dominated regions in Southern Africa, one low-rainfall region (660 mm year−1) in the North-West District (Ngamiland), Botswana, and one high-rainfall region (940 mm year−1) in Niassa Province (northern Mozambique). We found that for fine surface fuel classes (live grass and dead plant litter), the model was able to reproduce measured Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) (R2 of 0.91 and 0.77 for live grass and total fine fuel, respectively) across both low and high rainfall areas. The model was less successful in representing other classes, e.g., woody debris, but in the regions considered, these are less relevant to biomass burning and make smaller contributions to total AGB.

scholarly journals BIOMASSA E NUTRIENTES EM Myrsine ferruginea (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez E Myrsine umbellata Mart

FLORESTA ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Vinicius Winckler Caldeira ◽  
Ronaldo Viana Soares ◽  
Renato Marques ◽  
Celina Wisniewski
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Experimental Plots

Este estudo teve como objetivo quantificar a biomassa acima do solo e o conteúdo de macronutientes de duas espécies arbóreas (Myrsine ferruginea e Myrsine umbellata) da Floresta Ombrófila Mista Montana. Os dados foram coletados em 10 árvores de M. ferruginea e 9 árvores de M. umbellata, extraídas de 20 parcelas de 12 m x 12 m. A maior produção de biomassa total e de cada componente foi verificada em M. ferruginea, exceto a produção de folhas que foi maior em M. umbellata; os maiores conteúdos de macronutrientes na biomassa total também foram verificados em M. ferruginea. BIOMASS AND NUTRIENT IN Myrsine ferruginea (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez E Myrsine umbellata Mart Abstract The objective of this research was to quantify the above-ground biomass and macronutrient contents of two forest species (Myrsine ferruginea and Myrsine umbellata) found in the Ombrofila Mix Montana Forest. Data were collected from 10 trees of M. ferruginea and 9 trees of M. umbellata extracted from 12 m x 12 m experimental plots. The highest biomass production was found in M. ferruginea, except foliage that was higher in M. umbellata. The highest macronutrient accumulation were also observed in M. ferruginea.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document