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Fire induced stem death in an African acacia is not caused by canopy scorching
Author(s) -
BALFOUR DAVID A.,
MIDGLEY JEREMY J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
austral ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 1442-9985
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01656.x
Subject(s) - xylem , acacia , canopy , biology , botany , tree (set theory) , ecology , mathematics , mathematical analysis
The death of smaller stems of trees due to fire is widespread in savannas. There are currently two hypotheses as to how tree stems avoid stem death; by (i) growing tall and enabling the terminal buds to escape being scorched; and (ii) growing a larger stem diameter and thus being buffered against the heat of the fire. Laboratory‐based tests of these hypotheses on one savanna tree species, Acacia karroo Haynes, support the contention that the important parameter is stem diameter. In addition, anatomical evidence of heat impacts to xylem suggests that damage to the xylem of a stem may play a mechanistic role in causing stem death.