Fire effects on vegetation in a grassy dwarf shrubland at a site in the eastern Karoo, South Africa

• Published in: African journal of range & forage science Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 13 - 20
• Main Authors: du Toit, Justin CO, van den Berg, Loraine, O'Connor, Tim G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scottsville Taylor & Francis 02.01.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: canopy; dwarf shrubs; Eriocephalus; fuel loading; grass; Grasses; Nama-Karoo; non-sprouter; resprouter; Seedlings; seeds; Shrublands; Shrubs; South Africa; Stachys; Vegetation; Vegetation effects; South Africa

Fire is rare in semi-arid eastern Karoo dwarf shrublands, South Africa, and responses to fire are largely unknown. Recent increased grassiness, and hence fuel loads, at Grootfontein in the Eastern Cape allowed an accidental fire (24.3 ha) to carry, and afforded the opportunity to examine composition...