ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3046-0417
Current Organisations
University of Wollongong
,
University of New South Wales
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Conservation and Biodiversity | Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Environmental Science and Management | Ecological Applications | Population, Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | Environmental Management
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Remnant Vegetation and Protected Conservation Areas at Regional or Larger Scales | Climate Change Adaptation Measures | Ecosystem Assessment and Management at Regional or Larger Scales |
Related Links
Publications
Germination and dormancy breaking: two different things
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 25-09-2012
Sensitivity analyses of decision rules in World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List criteria using Australian plants
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2000
The AusTraits Plant Dictionary
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 18-06-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545047
Abstract: Traits with intuitive names, a clear scope and explicit description are essential for all trait databases. Reanalysis of data from a single database, or analyses that integrate data across multiple databases, can only occur if researchers are confident the trait concepts are consistent within and across sources. The lack of a unified, comprehensive resource for plant trait definitions has previously limited the utility of trait databases. Here we describe the AusTraits Plant Dictionary (APD), which extends the trait definitions included in the new trait database AusTraits. The development process of the APD included three steps: review and formalisation of the scope of each trait and the accompanying trait description addition of trait meta-data and publication in both human and machine-readable forms. Trait definitions include keywords, references and links to related trait concepts in other databases, and the traits are grouped into a hierarchy for easy searching. As well as improving the usability of AusTraits, the Dictionary will foster the integration of trait data across global and regional plant trait databases.
Seed bank dynamics and climate change in semi-arid ecosystems: a focus on physically dormant species
Publisher: GN1 Genesis Network
Date: 2015
Invasive grass affects seed viability of native perennial shrubs in arid woodlands
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-02-2019
Disruption of recruitment in two endemic palms on Lord Howe Island by invasive rats
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-03-2010
Limits to post‐fire vegetation recovery under climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-09-2021
DOI: 10.1111/PCE.14176
Abstract: Record‐breaking fire seasons in many regions across the globe raise important questions about plant community responses to shifting fire regimes (i.e., changing fire frequency, severity and seasonality). Here, we examine the impacts of climate‐driven shifts in fire regimes on vegetation communities, and likely responses to fire coinciding with severe drought, heatwaves and/or insect outbreaks. We present scenario‐based conceptual models on how overlapping disturbance events and shifting fire regimes interact differently to limit post‐fire resprouting and recruitment capacity. We demonstrate that, although many communities will remain resilient to changing fire regimes in the short‐term, longer‐term changes to vegetation structure, demography and species composition are likely, with a range of subsequent effects on ecosystem function. Resprouting species are likely to be most resilient to changing fire regimes. However, even these species are susceptible if exposed to repeated short‐interval fire in combination with other stressors. Post‐fire recruitment is highly vulnerable to increased fire frequency, particularly as climatic limitations on propagule availability intensify. Prediction of community responses to fire under climate change will be greatly improved by addressing knowledge gaps on how overlapping disturbances and climate change‐induced shifts in fire regime affect post‐fire resprouting, recruitment, growth rates, and species‐level adaptation capacity.
Climate change and bet‐hedging: interactions between increased soil temperatures and seed bank persistence
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-09-2009
Heat increases germination of water-permeable seeds of obligate-seeding Darwinia species (Myrtaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2008
Success of post-fire plant recovery strategies varies with shifting fire seasonality
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S43247-022-00453-2
Abstract: Wildfires are increasing in size and severity and fire seasons are lengthening, largely driven by climate and land-use change. Many plant species from fire-prone ecosystems are adapted to specific fire regimes corresponding to historical conditions and shifts beyond these bounds may have severe impacts on vegetation recovery and long-term species persistence. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of field-based studies across different vegetation types and climate regions to investigate how post-fire plant recruitment, reproduction and survival are affected by fires that occur outside of the historical fire season. We find that fires outside of the historical fire season may lead to decreased post-fire recruitment, particularly in obligate seeding species. Conversely, we find a general increase in post-fire survival in resprouting species. Our results highlight the trade-offs that exist when considering the effects of changes in the seasonal timing of fire, an already present aspect of climate-related fire regime change.
Polyploidy but Not Range Size Is Associated With Seed and Seedling Traits That Affect Performance of Pomaderris Species
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 13-01-2022
Abstract: Ploidy and species range size or threat status have been linked to variation in phenotypic and phenological seed and seedling traits, including seed size, germination rate (speed) and seedling stature. There is surprisingly little known about the ecological outcomes of relationships between ploidy, key plant traits and the drivers of range size. Here we determined whether ploidy and range size in Pomaderris , a genus of shrubs that includes many threatened species, are associated with variation in seed and seedling traits that might limit the regeneration performance of obligate seeders in fire-prone systems. We experimentally quantified seed dormancy and germination processes using fire-related heat treatments and evaluated seedling performance under drought stress. We also examined the association of seed size with other seed and seedling traits. Polyploids had bigger seeds, a faster germination rate and larger and taller seedlings than diploids. There was a lack of any clear relationship between range size and seed or seedling traits. The ploidy effects observed for many traits are likely to be indirect and associated with the underlying seed size differences. These findings indicate that there is a higher potential competitive advantage in polyploid than diploid Pomaderris during regeneration, a critical stage in the post-fire environment. This insight to the regeneration phase may need to be considered when planning and prioritising management of threatened species.
Spatial and temporal variability in positive and negative plant–bryophyte interactions along a latitudinal gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-12-2012
Threatened Plant Translocation for Mitigation: Improving Data Accessibility Using Existing Legislative Frameworks. An Australian Case Study
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 03-01-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FCOSC.2021.789448
Abstract: Translocation of plants is used globally as a conservation action to bolster existing or establish new populations of threatened species and is usually communicated in academic publications or case studies. Translocation is also used to mitigate or offset impacts of urbanization and development but is less often publicly published. Irrespective of the motivation, conservation or mitigation, on ground actions are driven by overriding global conservation goals, applied in local or national legislation. This paper deconstructs the legislative framework which guides the translocation process in Australia and provides a case study which may translate to other countries, grappling with similar complexities of how existing legislation can be used to improve accessibility of translocation records. Each year, across Australia, threatened plants are being translocated to mitigate development impacts, however, limited publicly accessible records of their performance are available. To improve transparency and opportunities to learn from the outcomes of previous mitigation translocations, we propose mandatory recording of threatened plant translocations in publicly accessible databases, implemented as part of development approval conditions of consent. The contribution to these need not be onerous, at a minimum including basic translocation information (who, what, when) at project commencement and providing monitoring data (outcome) at project completion. These records are currently already collected and prepared for translocation proposals and development compliance reporting. Possible repositories for this information include the existing national Australian Network for Plant Conservation translocation database and existing State and Territory databases (which already require contributions as a condition of licensing requirements) with new provisions to identify and search for translocation records. These databases could then be linked to the Atlas of Living Australia and the Australian Threatened Plant Index. Once established, proposals for mitigation translocation could be evaluated using these databases to determine the viability of mitigation translocation as an offset measure and to build on the work of others to ensure better outcomes for plant conservation, where translocations occur.
Oxygen-deficiency and allelochemicals affect Sphagnum spore persistence in peatlands
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-09-2018
Projected soil temperature increase and seed dormancy response along an altitudinal gradient: implications for seed bank persistence under climate change
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-11-2011
Fire severity drives variation in post-fire recruitment and residual seed bank size of Acacia species
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-03-2018
Preparing threatened plants for translocation: does home soil addition and nutrient loading improve growth and flowering?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-06-2021
Does fire drive fatty acid composition in seed coats of physically dormant species?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-01-2023
DOI: 10.1111/PLB.13498
Abstract: Seed dormancy is the key driver regulating seed germination, hence is fundamental to the seedling recruitment life‐history stage and population persistence. However, despite the importance of physical dormancy (PY) in timing post‐fire germination, the mechanism driving dormancy‐break within seed coats remains surprisingly unclear. We suggest that seed coat chemistry may play an important role in controlling dormancy in species with PY. In particular, seed coat fatty acids (FAs) are hydrophobic, and have melting points within the range of seed dormancy‐breaking temperatures. Furthermore, melting points of saturated FAs increase with increasing carbon chain length. We investigated whether fire could influence seed coat FA profiles and discuss their potential influence on dormancy mechanisms. Seed coat FAs of 25 species within the Faboideae, from fire‐prone and fire‐free ecosystems, were identified and quantified through GC–MS. Fatty acid profiles were interpreted in the context of species habitat and interspecific variation. Fatty acid compositions were distinct between species from fire‐prone and fire‐free habitats. Fire‐prone species tended to have longer saturated FA chains, a lower ratio of saturated to unsaturated FA, and a slightly higher relative amount of FAs compared to fire‐free species. The specific FA composition of seed coats of fire‐prone species indicated a potential role of FAs in dormancy mechanisms. Overall, the distinct FA composition between fire‐prone and fire‐free species suggests that chemistry of the seed coat may be under selection pressure in fire‐prone ecosystems.
A research agenda for seed‐trait functional ecology
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-10-2018
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.15502
Abstract: Trait-based approaches have improved our understanding of plant evolution, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. A major challenge for the upcoming decades is to understand the functions and evolution of early life-history traits, across levels of organization and ecological strategies. Although a variety of seed traits are critical for dispersal, persistence, germination timing and seedling establishment, only seed mass has been considered systematically. Here we suggest broadening the range of morphological, physiological and biochemical seed traits to add new understanding on plant niches, population dynamics and community assembly. The ersity of seed traits and functions provides an important challenge that will require international collaboration in three areas of research. First, we present a conceptual framework for a seed ecological spectrum that builds upon current understanding of plant niches. We then lay the foundation for a seed-trait functional network, the establishment of which will underpin and facilitate trait-based inferences. Finally, we anticipate novel insights and challenges associated with incorporating erse seed traits into predictive evolutionary ecology, community ecology and applied ecology. If the community invests in standardized seed-trait collection and the implementation of rigorous databases, major strides can be made at this exciting frontier of functional ecology.
Reproductive characteristics, population genetics, and pairwise kinship inform strategic recovery of a plant species in a fragmented landscape
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-02-2023
DOI: 10.1111/CSP2.12910
Abstract: Population genetics and understanding of mating systems provide fundamental information for conservation planning. Pairing these methods is a powerful tool in the study of threatened species, however, they are rarely applied in concert. We examined the mating system and used molecular genetics to measure pairwise kinship and the potential for inbreeding in Hibbertia spanantha , a critically endangered long‐lived shrub endemic to the Sydney Basin, Australia, as a model for conservation planning of species in highly fragmented populations. In situ hand pollination experiments demonstrated that the species is preferentially outcrossing, with limited ability to self‐pollinate (either autogamously or geitonogamously). Although population genetics confirmed high levels of kinship and clonality, there is currently enough population heterozygosity for successful open pollination, primarily through buzz pollination by Sweat Bees ( Lasioglossum [Chilalictus ]). High levels of clonality and population kinship in one population may be the cause of reduced fitness, identified because our outcrossing pollination treatment produced significantly more seeds with greater viability and seed mass than the open treatments. Differences in weight of filled (viable) seeds were identified between populations, although not treatments, where clonal dominance may be sw ing pollinator foraging activities. Identification of species mating system, population reproductive capacity, and impacts of fragmentation on population genetic health provides a robust basis for strategic planning and conservation of this critically endangered species, including establishment of an ex situ population and genetic rescue through population augmentation. These methods are easily applicable and particularly relevant to other plant species with small populations or those occurring in fragmented systems.
Applying seed germination studies in fire management for biodiversity conservation in south-eastern Australia
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 04-06-2008
DOI: 10.5194/WE-8-47-2008
Abstract: Abstract. We examine the patterns of germination response to fire in the fire-prone flora of the Sydney basin, south-eastern Australia, using ex les from several decades of research. The flora shows a strong response to fire-related germination cues. Most species show an interaction between heat and smoke, a number respond only to heat, whilst a few are likely to respond only to smoke. Many recruit in the first 12 months after fire and show no obvious seasonal patterns of recruitment, whilst several species have a strong seasonal germination requirement, even in this essentially aseasonal rainfall region. Key challenges remaining include designing future seed germination studies within the context of informing the germination response surface to smoke and heat interactions, and incorporation of the impact of varying soil moisture on seed germination post-fire, including its affect on resetting of seed dormancy. An understanding of the resilience of species to frequent fire also requires further work, to identify species and functional types most at risk. This work must ideally be integrated within the framework of the management of fire regimes that will change under a changing climate. We suggest that the functional classification of plant types in relation to fire could be enhanced by a consideration of both the type of germination response to fire (type of cues required) and the timing of the response (seasonally driven in response to seed dormancy characteristics, or independent of season). We provide a simplified version of such an addition to functional trait classification in relation to fire.
Fire Seasonality, Seasonal Temperature Cues, Dormancy Cycling, and Moisture Availability Mediate Post-fire Germination of Species With Physiological Dormancy
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 03-12-2021
Abstract: Fire seasonality (the time of year of fire occurrence) has important implications for a wide range of demographic processes in plants, including seedling recruitment. However, the underlying mechanisms of fire-driven recruitment of species with physiological seed dormancy remain poorly understood, limiting effective fire and conservation management, with insights h ered by common methodological practices and complex dormancy and germination requirements. We sought to identify the mechanisms that regulate germination of physiologically dormant species in nature and assess their sensitivity to changes in fire seasonality. We employed a combination of laboratory-based germination trials and burial-retrieval trials in natural populations of seven species of Boronia (Rutaceae) to characterize seasonal patterns in dormancy and fire-stimulated germination over a 2-year period and synthesized the observed patterns into a conceptual model of fire seasonality effects on germination. The timing and magnitude of seedling emergence was mediated by seasonal dormancy cycling and seasonal temperature cues, and their interactions with fire seasonality, the degree of soil heating expected during a fire, and the duration of imbibition. Primary dormancy was overcome within 4–10 months’ burial and cycled seasonally. Fire-associated heat and smoke stimulated germination once dormancy was alleviated, with both cues required in combination by some species. For some species, germination was restricted to summer temperatures (a strict seasonal requirement), while others germinated over a broader seasonal range of temperatures but exhibited seasonal preferences through greater responses at warmer or cooler temperatures. The impacts of fires in different seasons on germination can vary in strength and direction, even between sympatric congeners, and are strongly influenced by moisture availability (both the timing of post-fire rainfall and the duration soils stay moist enough for germination). Thus, fire seasonality and fire severity (via its effect on soil heating) are expected to significantly influence post-fire emergence patterns in these species and others with physiological dormancy, often leading to “germination interval squeeze.” Integration of these concepts into current fire management frameworks is urgently required to ensure best-practice conservation. This is especially pertinent given major, ongoing shifts in fire seasonality and rainfall patterns across the globe due to climate change and increasing anthropogenic ignitions.
Dormancy classification and potential dormancy-breaking cues for shrub species from fire-prone South-eastern Australia.
Publisher: CABI
Date: 2007
Seed tolerance to heating is better predicted by seed dormancy than by habitat type in Neotropical savanna grasses
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/WF16085
Abstract: Open savannas and wet grasslands are present under the same seasonal macro-climate in central Brazil. However, in open savannas, temperatures during fires are higher than in wet grasslands. Grasses dominate both ecosystems and exhibit large variation in seed dormancy. We hypothesise that seeds of grass species from open savannas are more tolerant to heating than those of wet grasslands. Also, assuming that dormant seeds remain longer in the soil than non-dormant seeds – thus being more likely to burn – we expect that dormant seeds are more tolerant to heating than non-dormant seeds. We tested the effects of heating at 80 and 110°C for 2.5 and 5.0 min on the survival of seeds of 14 species, seven from each community, containing dormant and non-dormant species. Seeds of most species survived at 80°C, but seeds from open savannas maintained greater survival for 5 min than seeds from wet grasslands. Seeds of most species died at 110°C, but dormant seeds survived more than non-dormant seeds. We conclude that species with seed dormancy experience selection for covarying characteristics that allow tolerance to heating in hotter fires. Our findings suggest that both seed dormancy and habitat-specific fire temperatures may contribute to the evolution of seed fire tolerance in Neotropical savannas.
The importance of fire season when managing threatened plant species: A long-term case-study of a rare Leucopogon species (Ericaceae)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2019.01.083
Abstract: Implemented burns are a primary source of fire in natural systems and occur outside of the wildfire season. However, the impacts of fire season shift on native plant species are rarely studied. Understanding fire season effects are particularly important for managing threatened species, which are often the focus of managed burns. To assess the impacts of fire seasonality and identify potential limiting traits, I studied the threatened Leucopogon exolasius and two common congeners, all of which persist via fire-driven population dynamics. All species were monitored over a 16 year period to assess seedling survival, growth and primary juvenile period after fire. For L. exolasius and the common L. esquamatus, comparisons of survival, growth and maturation were made after winter and summer fires, to assess the effects of season of burn. A key difference was found in primary juvenile period, which was exceptionally long for L. exolasius (>11 years for 80% of the population to flower) compared to the common congeners (3.2-7.57 years). Seasonal seed dormancy mechanisms meant that winter fires delayed emergence, leading to increases in primary juvenile period for both species. A long primary juvenile period may limit L. exolasius population persistence because plants are more likely to be killed by subsequent fire before maturation, while seasonal dormancy cues is a trait that would exacerbate the effects of this interval squeeze. In fire-prone systems, fire frequency is the key factor assumed to drive persistence, however, interactions with fire season can influence recruitment success. There are scant data on recruitment variation in response to fire seasonality, a factor that may have broad implications for rare and common species with seasonal germination requirements.
Cover Image
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-10-2021
DOI: 10.1111/PCE.14201
Abstract: The cover image is based on the Invited Review Limits to post‐fire vegetation recovery under climate change by Rachael H. Nolan et al., 0.1111 ce.14176 . image
Smoke promotes germination of peatland bryophyte spores
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-10-2022
DOI: 10.1093/JXB/ERAC420
Abstract: Northern peatlands are globally important carbon stores. With increasing fire frequency, the re-establishment of bryophytes becomes crucial for their carbon sequestration. Smoke-responsive germination is a common trait of seeds in fire-prone ecosystems but has not been demonstrated in bryophytes. To investigate the potential role of smoke in post-fire peatland recovery, we tested the germination of spores of 15 bryophyte species after treatment with smoke-water. The smoke responsiveness of spores with different laboratory storage times and burial depths/age (3–200 years) was subsequently tested. Smoke increased the germination percentage for 10 of the species and the germination speed for four of these. Smoke responsiveness increased along the fire frequency gradient from open expanse to forest margin, consistent with the theory that this selects for the maintenance of fire-adapted traits. Smoke enhanced the germinability of 1-year but not 4-year laboratory-stored spores, and considerably increased the germinability of spores naturally buried in peat for up to ~200 years. The effect of fire may be overlooked in non-fire-prone ecosystems, such as those in which wetland bryophytes dominate. Our study reveals a mechanism by which an increase in fire frequency may lead to shifts in species dominance, which may affect long-term carbon sequestration in peatlands.
Data from: Complex relationships between competing guilds along large-scale environmental gradients
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.5061/DRYAD.1NS7N
Germination ecology of the endangered species Asterolasia buxifolia (Rutaceae): smoke response depends on season and light
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/BT17025
Abstract: In fire-prone regions, many plant species rely on persistent seed banks for post-fire recovery. Understanding dormancy and germination cues is, therefore, important to predict population response. However, the germination ecology of species with physiologically dormant seeds in fire-prone regions is complex. We used the endangered species Asterolasia buxifolia, from riparian habitat in fire-prone south-eastern Australia, to investigate physiologically dormant seeds and their response to fire. We assessed whether fire cues alone promoted germination, or whether seasonal factors and light also played a role. Additionally, we tested the resilience of seeds to heat-shock temperatures produced in soil during fire, so as to identify potential factors that restrict such species to fire refugia. Seeds germinated only at winter seasonal temperatures, and had an obligate smoke and light requirement. Heat-shock treatments above 80°C slowed the germination rate. Smoke-related germination and the tolerance of A. buxifolia seeds to high fire-related temperatures demonstrated that recruitment dynamics can be driven by fire however, germination is restricted to winter temperatures. This highlights the potential that changes to fire season may have on population persistence. The slow germination rate caused by heat, and a light requirement, may contribute to restricting this species to riparian habitat.
Does high pH give a reliable assessment of the effect of alkaline soil on seed germination? A case study with Leymus chinensis (Poaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-05-2015
Shifting season of fire and its interaction with fire severity: Impacts on reproductive effort in resprouting plants
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8717
Abstract: Fire regimes shape plant communities but are shifting with changing climate. More frequent fires of increasing intensity are burning across a broader range of seasons. Despite this, impacts that changes in fire season have on plant populations, or how they interact with other fire regime elements, are still relatively understudied. We asked (a) how does the season of fire affect plant vigor, including vegetative growth and flowering after a fire event, and (b) do different functional resprouting groups respond differently to the effects of season of fire? We s led a total of 887 plants across 36 sites using a space‐for‐time design to assess resprouting vigor and reproductive output for five plant species. Sites represented either a spring or autumn burn, aged one to three years old. Season of fire had the clearest impacts on flowering in Lambertia formosa with a 152% increase in the number of plants flowering and a 45% increase in number of flowers per plant after autumn compared with spring fires. There were also season × severity interactions for total flowers produced for Leptospermum polygalifolium and L. trinervium with both species producing greater flowering in autumn, but only after lower severity fires. Severity of fire was a more important driver in vegetative growth than fire season. Season of fire impacts have previously been seen as synonymous with the effects of fire severity however, we found that fire season and severity can have clear and independent, as well as interacting, impacts on post‐fire vegetative growth and reproductive response of resprouting species. Overall, we observed that there were positive effects of autumn fires on reproductive traits, while vegetative growth was positively related to fire severity and pre‐fire plant size.
Investigation of 18 physiologically dormant Australian native species: germination response, environmental correlations and the implications for conservation
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 15-12-2020
DOI: 10.1017/S0960258520000422
Abstract: For physiologically dormant (PD) species in fire-prone environments, dormancy can be both complex due to the interaction between fire and seasonal cues, and extremely deep due to long intervals between recruitment events. Due to this complexity, there are knowledge gaps particularly surrounding the dormancy depth and cues of long-lived perennial PD species. This can be problematic for both in situ and ex situ species management. We used germination experiments that tested seasonal temperature, smoke, dark and heat for 18 PD shrub species distributed across temperate fire-prone Australia and assessed how germination was correlated with environmental factors associated with their home environments. We found extremely high levels of dormancy, with only eight species germinating above 10% and three species producing no germination at all. Seven of these eight species had quite specific seasonal temperature requirements and/or very strong responses to smoke cues. The maximum germination for each species was positively correlated with the mean temperature of the source population but negatively correlated with rainfall seasonality and driest months. The strong dependence on a smoke cue for some of the study species, along with ex les from other studies, provides evidence that an obligate smoke response could be a fire-adapted germination cue. Germination response correlated with rainfall season of the source populations is a pattern which has often been assumed but little comparative data across sites with different rainfall seasonality exists. Further investigation of a broader range of species from different rainfall season environments would help to elucidate this knowledge gap.
Do introduced honeybees affect seed set and seed quality in a plant adapted for bird pollination?
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-06-2016
DOI: 10.1093/JPE/RTW064
Fire‐triggered flowering is the dominant post‐fire strategy in a tropical savanna
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JVS.12995
Comparison of the cut and tetrazolium tests for assessing seed viability: a study using Australian native Leucopogon species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2004
What Do the Australian Black Summer Fires Signify for the Global Fire Crisis?
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-12-2021
DOI: 10.3390/FIRE4040097
Abstract: The 2019–20 Australian fire season was heralded as emblematic of the catastrophic harm wrought by climate change. Similarly extreme wildfire seasons have occurred across the globe in recent years. Here, we apply a pyrogeographic lens to the recent Australian fires to examine the range of causes, impacts and responses. We find that the extensive area burnt was due to extreme climatic circumstances. However, antecedent hazard reduction burns (prescribed burns with the aim of reducing fuel loads) were effective in reducing fire severity and house loss, but their effectiveness declined under extreme weather conditions. Impacts were disproportionately borne by socially disadvantaged regional communities. Urban populations were also impacted through prolonged smoke exposure. The fires produced large carbon emissions, burnt fire-sensitive ecosystems and exposed large areas to the risk of bio ersity decline by being too frequently burnt in the future. We argue that the rate of change in fire risk delivered by climate change is outstripping the capacity of our ecological and social systems to adapt. A multi-lateral approach is required to mitigate future fire risk, with an emphasis on reducing the vulnerability of people through a reinvigoration of community-level capacity for targeted actions to complement mainstream fire management capacity.
Fire-adapted traits of threatened shrub species in riparian refugia: implications for fire regime management
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-12-2020
Species shifts in above-ground vegetation and the soil seed bank in the inter-dune lowlands of an active dune field in Inner Mongolia, China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
Frameworks for identifying priority plants and ecosystems most impacted by major fires
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 09-12-2022
DOI: 10.1071/BT22009
Abstract: Globally, many species and ecosystems are experiencing landscape-scale wildfires (‘megafires’) and these events are predicted to increase in frequency and severity as the climate warms. Consequently, the capability to rapidly assess the likely impacts of such large fires and identify potential risks they pose to the persistence of species and ecosystems is vital for effective conservation management. In this review, we propose novel frameworks to identify which plant species and ecosystems are most in need of management actions as a result of megafires. We do this by assessing the impacts of a fire event on plants and ecosystems in the context of the whole fire regime (current fire event combined with recent fire history) and its interactions with other threatening processes, rather than simply considering the amount of habitat burnt. The frameworks are based on a combination of key species’ traits related to mechanisms of decline, components of the fire regime that are most likely to have adverse impacts on species or ecosystem recovery, and biotic and environmental factors that may lify fire impacts or pose barriers to post-fire recovery. We applied these frameworks to guide management priorities and responses following the extensive 2019/2020 fires in southern Australia, and we illustrate their application here via a series of worked ex les that highlight the various mechanisms of post-fire decline the frameworks address. The frameworks should be applicable to a broader range of fire-prone biomes worldwide. Our approach will (1) promote the development of foundational national datasets for assessing megafire impacts on bio ersity, (2) identify targeted priority actions for conservation, (3) inform planning for future fires (both prescribed burning and wildfire suppression), and (4) build awareness and understanding of the potential breadth of factors that threaten plants and ecosystems under changing fire regimes.
Humidity-regulated dormancy onset in the Fabaceae: a conceptual model and its ecological implications for the Australian wattle Acacia saligna
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-07-2014
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCU144
Can age be predicted from diameter for the obligate seeder Allocasuarina littoralis (Casuarinaceae) by using dendrochronological techniques?
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/BT06160
Abstract: In fire-prone regions, assessing stand age of obligate-seeding species provides an estimate of time since last fire. If a relationship exists between tree age and diameter, measuring the stem diameter of trees is a simple field method for determining age-class distribution within a stand. In this study, we examined whether age of the obligate seeder Allocasuarina littoralis could be estimated from diameter by using dendrochronological applications. Analysis of radial s les established that A. littoralis puts down annual growth rings. The relationship between the number of growth rings and stem diameter was tested for both male and female stems by using regression analysis. For female plants, this relationship varied significantly between sites. In contrast, male stems provided a strong relationship between age (as a function of the number of growth rings) and diameter, regardless of site. A regression model estimating age from stem diameter, based on male trees only, was subsequently developed and tested with data collected from trees of known age. Predicted estimates from stem diameter were within 3.76 years of the true age. Field measures of stem diameters can therefore provide a tool for estimating the fire history, especially time since last fire, in areas where stands of this species occur.
Multi‐taxon biodiversity responses to the 2019–2020 Australian megafires
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-10-2023
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.16955
AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-021-01006-6
Abstract: We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field c aigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and in idual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised in idual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
Effects of soil temperature regimes after fire on seed dormancy and germination in six Australian Fabaceae species
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/BT10144
Abstract: In addition to direct fire cues such as heat, smoke and charred wood, the passage of fire leads indirectly to changes in environmental conditions which may be able to break physical dormancy in hard-coated seeds. After a fire, the open canopy and the burnt material lying on the surface alter the thermal properties of the soil, resulting in elevated soil temperatures for long periods of time. We simulated daily temperature regimes experienced at different depths of soil profile after a summer fire. Our aim was to determine whether these temperature regimes and the duration of exposure (5, 15 and 30 days) play an important role breaking physical seed dormancy in six legumes from south-eastern Australia. Our results showed that simulated temperature regimes break seed dormancy. This effect is specially pronounced at temperatures that are expected to occur near the soil surface (0–2 cm depth). The duration of exposure interacts with temperature to break dormancy, with the highest germination rates reached after the longest duration and highest temperatures. However, the germination response varied among species. Therefore, this indirect post-fire cue could play a role in the regeneration of plant communities, and could stimulate seedling emergence independent of direct fire cues as well as in interaction with direct cues.
Bio-priming seeds with cyanobacteria: effects on native plant growth and soil properties
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-11-2020
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13040
Fire cues trigger germination and stimulate seedling growth of grass species from Brazilian savannas
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-08-2019
DOI: 10.1002/AJB2.1345
Abstract: Although fire cues (high temperatures and smoke) influence seed germination in numerous species from fire-prone environments, their effects on seed germination of species from neotropical savannas are poorly understood. We exposed seeds of eight grass species from the Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna to heat-shock (80°C or 110°C for 5 min) and/or smoke water, and then set them to germinate in light or dark, at either summer (28°C/18°C) or winter (27°C/14°C) temperature regimes in an incubator. In addition, we evaluated the effects of smoke water on seedling root and shoot growth for four of the species. Smoke interacted with the dark treatment to increase germination from 28% to 93% in Aristida recurvata and 77% to 95% in Aristida riparia. Smoke had no effect on germination of either of these species in the light. Heat-shock alone also promoted seed germination in A. recurvata. For Digitaria lehmanniana, smoke interacted with heat-shock to improve germination from 5% to 16%. In contrast, the fire treatments did not have any effect on the seed germination of the remaining five species. Smoke water stimulated root growth for A. riparia, A. recurvata, and Ctenium cirrosum but had no effect on their shoot growth. The strong promotive effect of smoke on Aristida germination suggests that these species are fire-adapted. Aristida species have an active awn system, which facilitates seed burial, and the smoke and dark interaction would ensure buried seeds germinated post-fire. The species that showed no response to fire cues may either have adapted via alternative strategies or require different concentrations of smoke or levels of heat. This study is one of very few ex les showing a positive germination and seedling growth response to smoke for species from neotropical savannas.
Achieving conservation outcomes in plant mitigation translocations: the need for global standards
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-05-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S11258-023-01310-8
Abstract: Many countries have legislation intended to limit or offset the impact of anthropogenic disturbance and development on threatened plants. Translocations are often integral to those mitigation policies. When translocation is used exclusively to mitigate development impacts, it is often termed a ‘mitigation translocation.’ However, both the terminology and processes vary regarding interpretation and application, resulting in inconsistent standards, often leading to poorly planned and implemented projects. These mitigation projects rarely achieve the intended ‘no net loss’ of protected species due to issues with timelines and procedures that result in the mortality of translocated in iduals. Instead, such projects are often process driven, focused on meeting legislative requirements which enable the development to proceed, rather than meaningful attempts to minimise the ecological impact of developments and demonstrate conservation outcomes. Here, we propose to reframe mitigation translocations as conservation driven, ensuring best practice implementation and hence, a quantified no net loss for impacted species. These methods include redefining the term mitigation translocation to include conservation objectives and outlining issues associated with the mitigation translocation processes worldwide. We also nominate global standards of practice to which all proposals should adhere, to ensure each project follows a trajectory towards quantified success, with genuine impact mitigation. These proposed standards focus on building efficient translocation plans and improving governance to facilitate a transition from project centred to ecology-driven translocation. Employment of these standards is relevant to development proponents, government regulators, researchers, and translocation practitioners and will increase the likelihood of conservation gains within the mitigation translocation sector.
Mechanisms of Fire Seasonality Effects on Plant Populations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2019.07.009
Abstract: Altered fire regimes resulting from climate change and human activity threaten many terrestrial ecosystems. However, we lack a holistic and detailed understanding of the effects of altering one key fire regime component - season of fire. Altered fire seasonality can strongly affect post-fire recovery of plant populations through interactions with plant phenology. We identify seven key mechanisms of fire seasonality effects under a conceptual demographic framework and review evidence for these. We reveal negative impacts of altered fire seasonality and identify research gaps for mechanisms and climate types for future analyses of fire seasonality effects within the identified demographic framework. This framework and these mechanisms can inform critical decisions for conservation, land management, and fire management policy development globally.
Raw annual and perennial abundance data
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2016
Seed size-mediated dormancy thresholds: a case for the selective pressure of fire on physically dormant species
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-11-2017
Environmental data along the latitudinal gradient
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2016
How much leaf area do insects eat? A data set of insect herbivory sampled globally with a standardized protocol
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-03-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.3301
Abstract: Herbivory is ubiquitous. Despite being a potential driver of plant distribution and performance, herbivory remains largely undocumented. Some early attempts have been made to review, globally, how much leaf area is removed through insect feeding. Kozlov et al., in one of the most comprehensive reviews regarding global patterns of herbivory, have compiled published studies regarding foliar removal and s led data on global herbivory levels using a standardized protocol. However, in the review by Kozlov et al., only 15 s ling sites, comprising 33 plant species, were evaluated in tropical areas around the globe. In Brazil, which ranks first in terms of plant bio ersity, with a total of 46,097 species, almost half (43%) being endemic, a single data point was s led, covering only two plant species. In an attempt to increase knowledge regarding herbivory in tropical plant species and to provide the raw data needed to test general hypotheses related to plant–herbivore interactions across large spatial scales, we proposed a joint, collaborative network to evaluate tropical herbivory. This network allowed us to update and expand the data on insect herbivory in tropical and temperate plant species. Our data set, collected with a standardized protocol, covers 45 s ling sites from nine countries and includes leaf herbivory measurements of 57,239 leaves from 209 species of vascular plants belonging to 65 families from tropical and temperate regions. They expand previous data sets by including a total of 32 s ling sites from tropical areas around the globe, comprising 152 species, 146 of them being s led in Brazil. For temperate areas, it includes 13 s ling sites, comprising 59 species. Thus, when compared to the most recent comprehensive review of insect herbivory (Kozlov et al.), our data set has increased the base of available data for the tropical plants more than 460% (from 33 to 152 species) and the Brazilian s ling was increased 7,300% (from 2 to 146 species). Data on precise levels of herbivory are presented for more than 57,000 leaves worldwide. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this paper when using the current data in publications the authors request to be informed how the data is used in the publications.
Temperature thresholds of physically dormant seeds and plant functional response to fire: variation among species and relative impact of climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-02-2014
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.973
Persistence of obligate-seeding species at the population scale: effects of fire intensity, fire patchiness and long fire-free intervals
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/WF05024
Abstract: Understanding how a species persists under a particular fire regime requires knowledge of the response to fire of in idual plants. However, categorising the fire response of a species solely based on known responses of in idual plants can be misleading when predicting a population response. In the present study, we sought to determine the fire responses of several Leucopogon species at the population level, including the threatened L. exolasius. We found that, whilst all species studied were obligate seeders, the population responses of species to fire were dependent upon fire intensity and patchiness. Results showed first that low intensity fires were significantly patchier than higher intensity fires. Second, the proportion of plants killed within a population decreased with increased fire patchiness. We also assessed how populations were structured and found that stands were multi-aged at most sites, and did not have a single-aged structure, which is often assumed for obligate seeders. Both spatial complexity within the fire regime leading to adult plant persistence, and inter-fire recruitment, contributed to the multi-aged structure. It is possible that these Leucopogon species are gap recruiters, and may tolerate fire rather than be specifically adapted to it. Inter-fire recruitment may enable L. exolasius populations to persist for a much longer fire-free period than many other species in the region.
Seedling performance covaries with dormancy thresholds: maintaining cryptic seed heteromorphism in a fire‐prone system
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2016
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.1567
Abstract: The production of morphologically different seeds or fruits by the same in idual plant is known as seed heteromorphism. Such variation is expected to be selected for in disturbance-prone environments to allow germination into inherently variable regeneration niches. However, there are few demonstrations that heteromorphic seed characteristics should be favored by selection or how they may be maintained. In fire-prone ecosystems, seed heteromorphism is found in the temperatures needed to break physical dormancy, with seeds responding to high or low temperatures, ensuring emergence under variable fire-regime-related soil heating. Because of the relationship between dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds and fire severity, we hypothesize that different post-fire resource conditions have selected for covarying seedling traits, which contribute to maintenance of such heteromorphism. Seeds with low thresholds emerge into competitive conditions, either after low-severity fire or in vegetation gaps, and are therefore likely to experience selection for seedling characteristics that make them good competitors. On the other hand, high-temperature-threshold seeds would emerge into less competitive environments, indicative of stand-clearing high-severity fires, and would not experience the same selective forces. We identified high and low-threshold seed morphs via dormancy-breaking heat treatments and germination trials for two study species and compared seed mass and other morphological characteristics between morphs. We then grew seedlings from the two different morphs, with and without competition, and measured growth and biomass allocation as indicators of seedling performance. Seedlings from low-threshold seeds of both species performed better than their high-threshold counterparts, growing more quickly under competitive conditions, confirming that different performance can result from this seed characteristic. Seed mass or appearance did not differ between morphs, indicating that dormancy-breaking temperature threshold variation is a form of cryptic heteromorphism. The potential shown for the selective influence of different post-fire environmental conditions on seedling performance provides evidence of a mechanism for the maintenance of heteromorphic variation in dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds.
Within population variation in germination response to smoke cues: convergent recruitment strategies and different dormancy types
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-04-2018
The effect of seasonal ambient temperatures on fire-stimulated germination of species with physiological dormancy: A case study using Boronia (Rutaceae)
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 24-05-2016
Rapidly mapping fire effects on biodiversity at a large-scale using citizen science
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2021
Avoiding the dry season: dispersal time and syndrome mediate seed dormancy in grasses in Neotropical savanna and wet grasslands
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-04-2017
DOI: 10.1111/JVS.12531
Intra-population level variation in thresholds for physical dormancy-breaking temperature
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-05-2015
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCV069
Physical dormancy in a changing climate
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-01-2015
DOI: 10.1017/S0960258514000403
Abstract: Species with physically dormant (PY) seeds make up over 25% of plant species in a number of ecologically important ecosystems around the globe, such as savannah and Mediterranean shrublands. Many of these ecosystems are subject to temporally stochastic events, such as fire and drought but are in areas projected to experience some of the most extreme climatic changes in the future. Given the importance of PY in controlling germination timing for successful recruitment, we ask how plastic the PY trait is, and if changes to the maternal environment from climate change could alter recruitment. This review focuses on: (1) the evidence for inter- and intraspecific variation in PY (2) the genetic, maternal and environmental controls involved and (3) the ecological consequences of (1) and (2) above. Evidence for (within-community) interspecific variation in conditions required to break PY is strong, but for intraspecific variation evidence is contradictory and limited by a paucity of studies. Identifying controllers of variation in PY is complex, there is some suggestion that conditions of the maternal environment may be important, but no consensus on the nature of effects. The implications of PY plasticity for the persistence of seed banks, species and communities under climate change are discussed. We highlight a number of key knowledge gaps, such as a lack of research estimating the components of variation in non-agricultural species, and identify a suite of seed attributes relevant to understanding the potential impacts of climate change on the population dynamics of PY species in the future.
Niche models tell half the story: Spatial context and life-history traits influence species responses to global change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2012
Seed Dormancy Interacts with Fire Seasonality Mechanisms
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Dormancy and the Fire-centric Focus: Germination of Three Leucopogon Species (Ericaceae) from South-eastern Australia
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-05-2006
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCL118
Fire Seasonality Mechanisms Are Fundamental for Understanding Broader Fire Regime Effects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Seed bank persistence and climate change
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 05-01-2012
Effects of indigenous soil cyanobacteria on seed germination and seedling growth of arid species used in restoration
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-03-2018
Delayed post-fire seedling emergence linked to season: a case study with Leucopogon species (Epacridaceae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2004
Fire and land use impact soil properties in a Mediterranean dry sclerophyll woodland
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2022.116245
Abstract: Fire directly impacts soil properties responsible for soil function and can result in soil degradation. Across the globe, climate change-induced droughts and elevated temperatures are exacerbating fire regime severity, breadth, and frequency, thus posing a threat to soil function and dependent ecosystem services. In Australia, the 2019-2020 fire season consumed nearly 50% of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, burning both dry sclerophyll woodland and adjacent historically cleared and grazed pastureland. Due to exacerbated fire regime elements, e.g., intensity and area affected, and interactions with historical land use, post-fire recovery of soil function was uncertain. This study assessed the impacts of a) the 2019-2020 fire event in Western River, Kangaroo Island on dry sclerophyll woodland and b) the interaction between this fire event and historical clearing and grazing on post-fire function of the soil. To do so, the following physicochemical and biological soil properties were analysed: labile active carbon, total carbon, total nitrogen, carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N), pH, electrical conductivity, soil water repellency, aggregate stability, microbial community composition, and microbial ersity. Our results showed that the fire was of high severity, causing a reduction in nutrient content, an extreme rise in pH, and significant modifications to fungal communities in burnt compared to unburnt dry sclerophyll woodland. Furthermore, clearing and grazing raised post-fire soil nutrient levels and soil microbial ersity but reduced soil C/N and the abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi in burnt pastureland compared to burnt woodland soils. This study highlights the role of management and fire severity in post-fire outcomes and emphasizes the need for comprehensive soil function assessments to evaluate the impacts of disturbance on soil. Taking direct measure of soil properties, as done here, will improve future assessments of fire season impacts and post-fire recovery in fire-prone landscapes.
Fire Seasonality Effect on Post-Fire Wind Dispersal: Response to Keith, Dunker, and Driscoll
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
Distinguishing between persistence and dormancy in soil seed banks of three shrub species from fire-prone southeastern Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2007
Do dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds change as seeds age in the soil seed bank?
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 29-12-2016
DOI: 10.1017/S0960258516000271
Abstract: In fire-prone ecosystems, many species regenerate after fire from persistent soil seed banks. Species with physically dormant (PY) seeds have dormancy broken by fire-related heat. The magnitude of post-fire recruitment, to predict response to varying fire severity, is commonly estimated by testing dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds of fresh PY seeds. However, seeds spend years in the soil during the inter-fire period, and determining whether dormancy-breaking thresholds change over time is essential to accurately predict population persistence. Germination of four south-eastern Australian PY species from the Fabaceae family ( Acacia linifolia, Aotus ericoides, Bossiaea heterophylla and Viminaria juncea ) were studied. Dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds vary inter-specifically and the species represented either high or low dormancy-breaking threshold classes. Freshly collected seeds, and seeds that had been buried in the field or stored in dry laboratory conditions for 6 and 18 months were subjected to a fire-related range of heat treatments (40–100°C). Seed ageing increased germination response to heat treatments, effectively lowering the dormancy-breaking thresholds of three species. The fourth species, A. linifolia , initially had a relatively large non-dormant fraction which was lost as seeds aged, with older seeds then displaying PY broadly similar to the other study species. Patterns of threshold decay were species-specific, with the thresholds and viability of low-threshold species declining more rapidly than high-threshold species. The non-dormant fraction did not increase over time for any of our study species. Instead of increasing their non-dormant fraction, as is common in other vegetation types, these fire-prone PY species displayed a change of dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds. This is an important distinction, as maintaining dormancy during the inter-fire period is essential for population persistence. While changes in sensitivity to dormancy-breaking treatments have previously been reported as seeds age, our study provides the first test of changes to temperature thresholds, which increases the range of germination response from the seed bank under varying fire severity.
Effects of fire season on the reproductive success of the post-fire flowerer Doryanthes excelsa
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Complex Relationships between Competing Guilds along Large-Scale Environmental Gradients
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 04-2017
DOI: 10.1086/690765
Abstract: Despite much research over the past 30 years, there is still little general understanding of how the outcomes of interactions vary along environmental gradients, particularly at large geographic scales. A simple expectation is that decreasing environmental quality should reduce densities of competitors and hence the effects of competition should weaken in poorer environments. A counterintuitive consequence is that associations between densities of competitors might change from negative to positive as environments decrease in quality. Here we test these predictions in a set of vascular plant communities where perennial species share space and resources with less competitive annuals. We surveyed nine gray dune communities annually for 5 years along a cross-European latitudinal gradient of habitat quality. We find that densities of annual and perennial species are negatively correlated at the high-quality end of the gradient, while at the low-quality end, guild densities are uncorrelated or positively correlated, consistent with a weakening of competition linked to increasing environmental limitations. Our results suggest that even simple interactions can give rise to nonobvious changes in species associations along environmental gradients. They highlight that understanding the outcome of species interactions may require explicit characterization of their changing intensity with environmental quality and that the factors limiting species' codistribution can vary along environmental gradients.
Evidence for physiological seed dormancy cycling in the woody shrub Asterolasia buxifolia and its ecological significance in fire‐prone systems
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/PLB.13105
To germinate or not to germinate: more than just a question of dormancy
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 24-09-2010
DOI: 10.1017/S0960258510000267
Abstract: Consider the following four quotations concerning the distinction between breaking dormancy and stimulating germination.
Bushfire impacts on a threatened swamp ecosystem: responses of the soil microbial communities and restoration
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 03-03-2021
DOI: 10.5194/EGUSPHERE-EGU21-3778
Abstract: & & Australia faced the most extreme and prolonged fire season in 2019-2020, resulting in tragic habitat loss for many threatened species and the destruction of many ecological communities. & Newnes Plateau Shrub Sw s are peatlands located in the upper Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. These ecosystems perform many important ecological functions while absorbing and filtering water and releasing it slowly back to the environment. Their functions are related to the control of peak flow events, water purification and the harboring of many threatened plant and animal species. Despite their ecological importance, the area has been intensively degraded through longwall mining processes, resulting in the lowering and loss of water tables in the area. In December 2019 these impacts were compounded by an intense prolonged drought period and extensive wildfire. While the effects of these combined factors on the vegetation have been analysed and revealed remarkable negative impacts in the sw s under mining pressures, the effects on the soil microbial communities and related soil functions have not yet been studied. To investigate both drivers (fire and mining activities), we selected three mined sw s and three unmined sw s to assess their soil microbial composition and ersity through Next Generation Sequencing, and to characterise the soil chemical composition. At each site, we collected s les considering three treatments, one in the sw valley fill and two at two different heights of the sw valley margin, focusing on the soil close to specific groups of plants (e.g. sedges and shrubs). For each site and treatment, three soil s les (~ 10 m from each other) of 10x10 cm and ~ 3 to 5 cm of depth were collected using a trowel. We aim to build 16S rRNA gene libraries and co-relate them with the soil chemical variables, to assess the impact on these microbial communities and their possible use as environmental indicators and basis for future applied initiatives in conservation and restoration.& & & & & & &
Effects of 10-Year Management Regimes on the Soil Seed Bank in Saline-Alkaline Grassland
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 22-04-2015
Delayed emergence and post-fire recruitment success: effects of seasonal germination, fire season and dormancy type
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/BT09228
Abstract: Delayed seedling emergence can negatively affect plant recruitment. Recent work has shown that some species with innate seasonal requirements for germination can have seedling emergence delayed, depending on the season of fire. The impact of this delay, which is in relation to both resprouters and seedlings of species that emerge independent of season, remains unknown. I assessed delayed emergence and subsequent impacts on post-fire recruitment success of three Leucopogon species, which all display a seasonal emergence pattern related to their physiological dormancy. Intra-population comparisons showed that both small (1–6 months) and much larger (12–15 months) delays of emergence reduced seedling survival and growth, and increased the time taken for plants to reach maturity. Fire season induced delays produced very similar results, with higher mortality and slower growth after winter fires compared with post-summer fire cohorts. Seasonal emergence patterns, associated with seed dormancy and germination cues, may therefore provide a mechanism that determines the variation of recruitment success after fires in different seasons. A better understanding of the relationship between fire season and timing of emergence of physiologically dormant species would be timely considering the forecast widening of the fire season due to climate change.
Distribution of seed dormancy classes across a fire-prone continent: effects of rainfall seasonality and temperature
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-12-2020
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCAA203
Abstract: Different seed dormancy classes control the timing of germination via different cues. The ecological dissimilarities between classes therefore suggest that they are likely to be subject to different selective pressures, and that species within each class will have erse functional responses. We aimed to investigate this by assessing how variation in the distribution of dormancy classes is correlated with regional environmental factors, in particular rainfall seasonality and temperature. Additionally, we compare the relative proportions of species with physiological (PD) or physical (PY) dormancy to assess whether dormancy class influences their ability to persist under different rainfall seasonality regimes. Dormancy class was assigned for 3990 species from 281 genera occurring across two climate regions, with either winter or aseasonal rainfall, across temperate fire-prone Australia. All regions have similar vegetation and fire regimes. Using a Bayesian framework, we compared the distribution of dormancy classes across temperature and rainfall climate gradients, for threatened and common species. A high dormant:non-dormant species ratio highlighted the critical role of dormancy across our study regions. Critically, species showing PD were more likely to be threatened in aseasonal rainfall climate regions. Our results support the assumption that dormancy is favoured in environments with stochastic disturbance
Related Organisations
University Of Sheffield
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Related Funding Activities
Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP110100527
Start Date: 11-2011
End Date: 10-2015
Amount: $380,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP180100741
Start Date: 02-2020
End Date: 02-2024
Amount: $453,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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