Plant regeneration mechanisms during early post‐fire succession in south‐eastern Spain

Abstract

AbstractRegeneration mechanisms during vegetation succession were quantified on different post‐fire sites (2–3 y after fire) in south‐eastern Spain (Province of Murcia). We distinguished between (a) species regenerating exclusively sexually (obligate seeders), (b) species regenerating to 30–70% sexually (facultative sprouters) and (c) species regenerating mainly vegetatively after fire (sprouters). The importance of the mechanisms at the different fire sites were compared between the different locations (mountains vs. coast) and exposure (north vs. south‐facing) on the one hand and with undisturbed reference sites on the other hand. While patterns of regeneration mechanisms between the recently burnt plots were very similar to the undisturbed reference sites, the quantity of mechanisms between the coastal and the mountainous areas and between northern and southern aspects differed considerably. Facultative sprouters were more abundant close to the coast than in the mountains, while mainly sprouting species covered the largest areas in north‐facing mountainous sites. According to microclimatic data, an altered water balance may be responsible for major differences in regeneration mechanisms between mountainous and coastal sites and contrasting aspects. In conformity with the data available to us, the vegetation of the Murcia region is highly resilient to fire as vegetation returns quickly to a state similar as before the fire. The high differences in the success of regeneration mechanisms between the different exposures, however, indicate a strong sensibility of vegetation toward local climatic differences. We therefore expect that climate change could have a remarkable effect on the vegetation composition. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)