How early do Cerrado grasses become fire-resilient? Insights from an ontogenetic experiment.
Reinke RK, Pilon N, Kolb RM
Native Plants
If you're seeding native grasses into a restoration patch or fire-adapted meadow, waiting at least a year before the first burn gives those seedlings a fighting chance at full recovery.
Researchers wanted to know how young savanna grasses need to be before they can bounce back from a fire. They burned grass seedlings at different ages in a greenhouse and tracked how well they survived and regrew. Grasses survived even at 3 months old, but plants around 12–18 months old recovered the fastest and most fully — and burning just before the dry season made things worse for all ages.
Key Findings
Survival rates exceeded 50% even at 3 months of age, rising above 70% in older plants and reaching nearly 100% by 12 months.
Plants burned at 18 months accumulated the most biomass after fire, likely because they had larger underground reserves and more buds ready to resprout.
Burning just before the dry season significantly slowed recovery compared to burns timed at other points in the year.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Native Brazilian savanna grasses can survive fire as early as 3 months old, but plants 12–18 months old recover best. This finding helps land managers time prescribed burns to protect young plants during ecological restoration.
Abstract Preview
Fire is a recurring ecological disturbance in tropical grassy biomes, exerting strong selective pressure. Although adult species have a high capacity for resprouting, little is known about the age ...
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Species Mentioned
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