Survival of eight woody sprouting species following an autumn fire in Swartboskloof, Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

The survival of Widdringtonia nodiflora (L.) Powrie, Aulax pallasia Stapf, Mimetes cucullatus (L.) R.Br., Leucadendron salignum Berg., Brunia nodiflora L., Nebelia paleacea (Berg.) Sweet, Penaea mucronata L. and Erica coccinea L. was monitored after an autumn fire in montane fynbos near Stellenbosch in the Cape Province, South Africa. Discriminant and correlation analyses were used to determine the relationships between measures of pre-fire plant size and vigour, the degree of damage caused by the fire, and whether, firstly, plants survived the fire itself, and secondly, the survivors survived the subsequent summer. Pre-fire plant size was important in predicting whether plants survived the fire. Pre-fire plant vigour and the degree of damage caused by the fire were important predictors of whether plants survived the fire and the subsequent summer. Mortality due to the fire and during the following summer was highest for E. coccinea, P. mucronata, N. paleacea and B. nodiflora. Seedling recruitment varied widely between the different species. The populations of all species except W. nodiflora and A. pallasia increased as seedling recruitment exceeded adult mortality.