Premium
Effects of fire on central Australian rangelands. II Changes in tree and shrub populations
Author(s) -
GRIFFIN G. F.,
FRIEDEL M. H.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1984.tb01376.x
Subject(s) - rangeland , shrub , acacia , vegetation (pathology) , ecology , plant ecology , woody plant , fire regime , fire ecology , biology , geography , ecosystem , medicine , pathology
The effect of a summer fire or a winter fire on tree and shrub populations in two rangeland vegetation types in central Australia was investigated. Changes in population structure of two major species occurred regardless of the season of burn. The decrease in overall density of Acacia aneura, Eremophila gilesii and Cassia spp. was similar for summer and winter fire treatments: greater reduction of E. latrobei followed the summer burn. Higher fire line intensity caused greater mortality in all species but enhanced germination in A. aneura , a potentially ‘weedy’ species. Winter fires appear to be preferable for management of woody plants in the particular vegetation types studied.