Fire damage on seeds of Calliandra parviflora Benth. (Fabaceae), a facultative seeder in a Brazilian flooding savanna

Optimal sexual reproduction in relation to fire effects varies in Fabaceae species. Calliandra species have a large investment in reproduction. We investigated the consequences of fire during the fruiting period of Calliandra parviflora Benth., by checking fruit exposure to fire, pre-dispersal seed predator infestation, and the effect of fruit burning on germination. We conducted this study in a floodable savanna in central Brazil, where we collected burnt and unburnt fruits. We measured the fruit and seed mass, and counted the number of damaged and undamaged seeds and live larvae per fruit. We analyzed the seed germination percentage from burnt and unburnt fruits. The burnt fruits presented greater mass than the unburnt fruits, despite their seed mass being similar. The number of damaged seeds per fruit was only slightly higher in burnt compared to unburnt fruits (p = 0.047). The number of larvae on pre-dispersal seeds per fruit varied from 0 to 4 and did not differ between burnt and unburnt fruits. The germination percentage of unburnt fruit seeds (mean = 22 ± 17%), was significantly higher than that of burnt fruit (mean = 3.0 ± 2.0%, p < 0.001). Fire during fruiting or pre-dispersion decreases seed germination from 22 to 3%, but it does not hurt vegetative regeneration or resprout capacity of C. parviflora, which is a facultative seeder. Hence, we suggest that C. parviflora has potential for post-fire restoration in floodable open grassy savannas, in the ecotone between Cerrado and Pantanal, because this species may sprout quickly after first post-fire rains.     

Comparative seed germination ecology of Austrostipa compressa and Ehrharta calycina (Poaceae) in a Western Australian Banksia woodland

Austrostipa compressa, a native ephemeral of southwest Western Australia was stimulated to germinate under a range of temperatures, in the presence of light, and exposure to smoke-water. This combination of environmental cues results in winter-maximum germination in immediate postfire and disturbed-soil environments of this Mediterranean-type climate. In contrast, Ehrharta calycina, an introduced perennial grass from southern Africa that has invaded Banksia woodlands, germinated under a wide range of temperature and light conditions, but showed no promotive response to smoke-water. Although A. compressa seeds tolerated heat shock better than E. calycina, the self-burial mechanism of A. compressa seeds ensures protection from fire. High-intensity fire could have a greater impact on E. calycina, as the seeds of this species tend to accumulate in the top of the soil profile where they are more susceptible to high temperatures. Although seeds of E. calycina are more susceptible to high temperatures, survival of mature individuals by postfire resprouting ensures continued survival in native woodlands. Estimates of soil seed bank densities showed extreme variability, but some recently burnt areas of the Yule Brook Botany Reserve contained up to 8000 seed m^?2 of A. compressa and nearly 75 000 seeds m^?2 of E. calycina. Viable soil seed bank densities of A. compressa are reduced with time-since-last fire, but areas of greater than 45 years since the last fire, still contained up to 119 seeds m^?2. In both species, only about half their soil seed bank germinates following fire, thus ensuring the potential for later recruitment. Massive soil seed populations of E. calycina in native Banksia woodlands pose a major problem to management of this plant community type.     

Viable soil seed banks in disturbed lowland tropical rainforest sites in North Queensland

Four 0.125 m² soil samples, 50 mm deep, from each of eight tropical lowland rainforest sites ranging from primary and secondary forests to degraded Imperata grasslands were exposed to shade-house conditions. Germinations of soil seeds were monitored over 28 weeks in April-October. The viable seed banks in the primary forest (592 m^-2) and the secondary forest sites resulting from one cycle of clearing and abandonment (1300–1400 m^-2) were composed predominantly of secondary species. The viable seed banks were small in Imperata grassland sites that had been burnt regularly (200–400 m^-2) and very large (2000–3000 m^-2) in sites that had not been burnt for five years or more. The seed banks of the burnt and unburnt Imperata grassland sites were composed mostly of agricultural weeds whilst seeds of secondary rainforest trees were rare or absent. Similarities between the species composition of soil seed banks and regrowth vegetation types suggest that soil seed composition is important in determining the initial floristic composition following disturbance and that lack of seed of secondary rainforest trees is one factor which restricts re-growth and secondary succession on degraded Imperata grasslands. Species such as Eucalyptus intermedia R. T. Bak., E. pellita F. Muell. and Imperata cylindrica (L.)Beauv. which can establish and deflect the normal rainforest secondary succession were not present in the soil seed bank, and these species appear to rely on fresh seed inputs, lignotubers or rhizomes to colonize and regenerate after disturbance.     

Seed banks of Erica australis and Calluna vulgaris in a heathland subjected to experimental fire

Abstract. Soil samples were collected before and after an experimental fire on a heathland in the province of León (Spain). The seed banks were assessed by counting the numbers of seedlings appearing of Erica australis and Calluna vulgaris. A total of 2285 germinable seeds/m² before burning and 1177 germinable seeds/m² after the fire were estimated for Erica australis, and 90 and 690 germinable seeds/m², respectively, for Calluna vulgaris. After the fire the number of germinable seeds/m² of Erica australis had decreased, whilst there was a considerable increase in the number of germinable seeds/m² of Calluna vulgaris. Neither seedlings nor sprouts of Calluna vulgaris had appeared in the field plots 10 months after the fire. Erica australis did recover mainly by sprouting after fire.     

Fire and regeneration: the role of seed banks in the dynamics of northern heathlands

Questions: How do species composition and abundance of soil seed bank and standing vegetation vary over the course of a post‐fire succession in northern heathlands? What is the role of seed banks – do they act as a refuge for early successional species or can they simply be seen as a spillover from the extant local vegetation? Location: Coastal Calluna heathlands, Western Norway. Methods: We analysed vegetation and seed bank along a 24‐year post‐fire chronosequence. Patterns in community composition, similarity and abundances were tested using multivariate analyses, Sørensen's index of similarity, vegetation cover (%) and seedling counts. Results: The total diversity of vegetation and seed bank were 60 and 54 vascular plant taxa, respectively, with 39 shared species, resulting in 68% similarity overall. Over 24 years, the heathland community progressed from open newly burned ground via species rich graminoid‐ and herb‐dominated vegetation to mature Calluna heath. Post‐fire succession was not reflected in the seed bank. The 10 most abundant species constituted 98% of the germinated seeds. The most abundant were Calluna vulgaris (49%; 12 018 seeds m^?2) and Erica tetralix (34%; 8 414 seeds m^?2). Calluna showed significantly higher germination the first 2 years following fire. Conclusions: Vegetation species richness, ranging from 23 to 46 species yr^?1, showed a unimodal pattern over the post‐fire succession. In contrast, the seed bank species richness, ranging from 21 to 31 species yr^?1, showed no trend. This suggests that the seed bank act as a refuge; providing a constant source of recruits for species that colonise newly burned areas. The traditional management regime has not depleted or destroyed the seed banks and continued management is needed to ensure sustainability of northern heathlands.     

Seeds of the annual grasses Schizachyrium spp. as a food resource for tropical granivorous birds

Seed dynamics of the annual tropical grasses Schizachyrium fragile (R. Br.) A. Camus, S. pachyarthron C. Gardner and S. pseudeulalia (Hosok.) S.T. Blake were studied with the aim of documenting fluxes in granivore food resources. In S. fragile, seed production began in the early dry season, and seed output was primarily influenced by seedling survival. Following seed-fall, there were 651 S. fragile seeds/m² (393 kernels/m²⁾ and 1014 S. pachyarthron seeds/m² (593 kernels/m²) across the study area, with a combined kernel biomass of 14.1 × 10³ g/ha. Seed densities remained stable through the dry season, then declined rapidly after wet season rain. Initial wet season rains of up to 25 mm, 40 mm and 50 mm resulted in seed-bank germination of < 5%, 57%, and 93%, respectively. Some seeds were buried by rain and resurfaced or germinated later, but about 30% was lost. Widespread and abrupt depletion of the seed-bank is likely to occur at the start of about 8% of wet seasons on central Cape York Peninsula, leaving little seed, either for subsequent germination or as food for granivores. Burning early in the dry season, when most seeds were still on the plants, reduced seed densities by 85%. The proportion of seeds with sound kernels was reduced in areas burnt by dry season fires, both directly after the fires and, subsequently, as a result of preferential granivore activity. Areas burnt in the dry season were thus depleted of seed earlier than were unburnt areas. Food availability for granivores should therefore be optimized by fire regimes that include a range of burning histories, including fires in both early dry and early wet seasons as well as keeping other areas unburnt.     

The role of Rhytidoponera metallica (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) in facilitating post‐fire seed germination of three ant‐dispersed legume species

The fire avoidance hypothesis proposes that a benefit of seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) is to protect seeds from being killed during fire and to facilitate post‐fire germination of seeds that require heat shock to break their physical dormancy. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of fire and seed burial by a predominant seed‐dispersing ant, Rhytidoponera metallica (subfamily: Ectatomminae) on germination levels of three ant‐dispersed legume species (Pultenaea daphnoides, Acacia myrtifolia and Acacia pycnantha). Experimental burial of seeds within aluminium cans at a site prior to being burnt and at an adjacent unburnt site showed that fire increased germination levels, particularly for seeds buried at 1‐ and 2‐cm deep and that overall, germination levels differed among the three plant species. To quantify seed burial depths and post‐fire germination levels facilitated by R. metallica ants, seeds were fed to colonies prior to fire at the burnt and unburnt sites. Of the seeds buried within nests that were recovered, between 45% and 75% occurred within the upper 6 cm of the soil profile, although unexpectedly, greater percentages of seeds were recovered from the upper 0–2 cm of nests in the unburnt site compared with nests in the burnt site. Germination levels of buried seeds associated with R. metallica nests ranged from 21.2% to 29.5% in the burnt site compared with 3.1–14.8% in the unburnt site. While increased seed germination levels were associated with R. metallica nests following fire, most seeds were buried at depths below those where optimal temperatures for breaking seed dormancy occurred during the fire. We suggest that R. metallica ants may provide fire avoidance benefits to myrmecochorous seeds by burying them at a range of depths within a potential germination zone defined by intra‐ and inter‐fire variation in levels of soil heating.     

Interactions between ants and seeds of two myrmecochorous plant species in recently burnt and long‐unburnt forest sites

Myrmecochory (seed dispersal by ants) is a common seed dispersal strategy of plants in fire‐prone sclerophyll vegetation of Australia, yet there is little understanding of how fire history may influence this seed dispersal mutualism. We investigated the initial fate of seeds of two myrmecochorous plant species, the small‐seeded Pultenaea daphnoides J.C. Wendl. and the large‐seeded Acacia pycnantha Benth., in replicated burnt (3.25 years since fire) and unburnt (53 years since fire) forest plots in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. Specifically we measured (i) seed removal rates; (ii) the frequency of three ant–seed interactions (seed removal, elaiosome robbery and seed ignoring); (iii) the relative contribution of different ant species to ant–seed interactions; and (iv) the abundance of common interacting ant species. Rates of seed removal from depots and the proportion of seeds removed were higher in recently burnt vegetation and the magnitude of these effects was greater for the smaller‐seeded P. daphnoides. The overall proportion of elaiosomes robbed was higher in unburnt vegetation; however, the decrease in elaiosome robbery in burnt vegetation was greater for P. daphnoides than for A. pycnantha. Ants ignored seeds more frequently in burnt vegetation and at similar rates for both seed species. In total, 20 ant species were observed interacting with seeds; however, three common ant species accounted for 66.3% of ant–seed interactions. Monomorium sydneyense almost exclusively robbed elaiosomes, Rhytidoponera metallica typically removed seeds and Anonychomyrma nr. nitidiceps showed a mix of the three behaviours towards seeds. Differences in the proportions of seeds removed, elaiosomes robbed and seeds ignored appeared to be largely driven by an increase in abundance of A. nr. nitidiceps and a decrease in abundance of M. sydneyense in burnt vegetation. Understanding how these fire‐driven changes in the initial fate of myrmecochorous seeds affect plant fitness requires further investigation.     

Lack of fire and insect herbivory constrain recruitment in a rare legume from Western Australia

We investigated factors influencing recruitment in the rare endemic shrub Acacia insolita subsp. recurva (Fabaceae) from the heavily cleared south‐west of Western Australia. We examined annual seed production over 4 years, including the impact of herbivory on reproductive output. Conversion of bud to fruit was low (overall 0.02%). The lack of significant difference in canopy dimensions between caged and uncaged plants suggested that vertebrate herbivore grazing was negligible, but invertebrate predation had a negative impact on seed production (loss of >80% of fruiting potential). Soil cores determined the presence of soil‐stored seeds and an experimental burn confirmed that plants are fire‐killed and can regenerate from the seed bank. This seed reserve was found to contain <5 seeds m^?2, and both freshly collected seeds and seeds retrieved from the soil had high viability (99% vs. 91%) when subjected to a germination test. Seedling recruitment 29 months post‐fire resulted in a ratio of three seedlings for every adult killed by fire. We also compared reproductive success in this rare Acacia with its common conspecific and although the rare species produced more flowers, the success of flowering did not translate into better fruit set. We conclude that insect damage to reproductive branchlets and lack of appropriate disturbance are major factors constraining recruitment. Active site management may be required for the continued persistence of this fire‐dependent legume.     

Soil temperatures during bushfires in semi-arid,mallee shrublands

Abstract Soil temperatures were measured during 11 experimental fires in semi-arid mallee shrublands in central NSW. Sensors were placed at depths from 1–10 cm beneath the soil surface in three fuel types; litter beneath Eucalyptus shrubs, live hummocks of the grass Triodia irritans and litter beneath shrubs of Acacia species. Weights of these fuels per unit area were determined. Maximum soil temperature and its duration were related to fuel type and depth. Mean weights of Eucalyptus and Triodia fuels were similar (0.35 kg m^?2), while there was less Acacia fuel (0.1 kg m^?2). Highest maximum temperatures were registered under Eucalyptus litter (e.g. 140°C at 2 cm). Maximum temperatures under Triodia and Acacia litter were similar (e.g. 60–70°C at 2 cm). Durations were examined in two temperature classes (60–120 and > 120°C) chosen to represent threshold for stimulation of germination and mortality, respectively, of soil-stored seeds. Temperatures between 60 and 120°C were recorded only between 0–2 cm soil depth for Acacia and Triodia (one exception at 4 cm). No temperatures >120°C were recorded for these fuel types. Temperatures between 60 and 120°C were recorded to 5 cm depth under Eucalyptus fuels while putative lethal temperatures for seeds occurred occasionally at 0–2 cm depth. The results indicated greatest potential for stimulation of germination and death of buried seeds under Eucalyptus fuels, although the level of variability of temperature was highest under Eucalyptus fuels. Despite similar fuel loads, differences between temperatures under Eucalyptus and Triodia fuels reflected the influence of the depth of the fuel bed, with Triodia hummocks constituting a deep fuel bed and Eucalyptus litter a shallow fuel bed.     

The influence of dominant shrubs,fire, and time since fire on soil seed banks in mixed chaparral

The composition and density of soil seed banks beneath co-occurring Adenostoma fasciculatum and Ceanothus greggii shrubs from three chaparral stands last burned 9, 35 and 85 years before 1986 were investigated. The overall density of seeds in the soil, as estimated by germinations under greenhouse conditions, increased with time since fire (ca. 8000 to 25000/m²). However, this increase was due entirely to the accumulation of A. fasciculatum seed in the soil (ca. 2000 to 21000/m²). In contrast, the density of C. greggii seed was different in each of the three stands, but was not correlated with time since fire: maximum densities were recorded from the 35 year old stand (ca. 2000/m²).A total of 31 taxa germinated and 17 occurred in sufficient numbers to be analyzed statistically. Germinable seed densities of three herb species were not influenced by soil source (beneath A. fasciculatum or C. greggii), time since fire, or the direct effects of a controlled fire treatment. Germinable seed densities of a further nine species were significantly influenced by the elapsed time since stands last burned. The densities of four decreased and five increased. Four of the species that increased in seed density over the three stands were annuals, suggesting that the chaparral sub-canopy habitat is not as unfavorable for annuals as is often assumed. The fire treatment decreased germinable seed densities of four annual species by 40–70%, but increased the germinable seed densities of the shrubs A. fasciculatum and C. greggii, and the annual Phacelia brachyloba. Our results indicate that seeds of A. fasciculatum will increase in the soil bank for at least 85 years after fire in chaparral where it is dominant. In contrast, seed reserves of C. greggii appear to be influenced primarily by site-specific patterns of seed production and by the intensity of post-dispersal seed predation.     

Turgor-sensitive transport in developing seeds of legumes: the role of the stage of development and the use of excised vs. attached seed coats

Abstract After removal of the embryo from developing seeds of Vicia faba L. and Pisum sativum L., the ‘empty’ ovules were filled with a substitute medium (pH 5.5) and the effect of the osmolality of this solution on assimilate transport was exandned. In pulse-labelling experiments with a mixture of [³H]sucrose and [¹⁴C]α-andnoisobutyric acid (AIB), a solute concentration of 400 mol m^?3 (100 mol m^3? sucrose + 300 mol m^?3 mannitol) was too low to maintain sugar and andno acid transport into empty ovules of V. faba in a very early stage of development (embryo dry weight < 100 mg) on the same level as transport into intact ovules within the same fruit. A 550-mol m^?3 solution could maintain the normal rate of transport. In experiments with seeds in a more advanced stage of development (embryo dry weight > 250 mg), transport of labelled sucrose and AIB into empty ovules filled with a 400-mol m^?3 solution was practically equal to transport into intact ovules within the same fruit. Experiments without isotopes, on sugar and andno acid release from the seed coat, confirmed the important role of the osmotic environment. A very low osmolality of the solution (e.g. 50 mol m^?3 mannitol) enhanced net efflux of assimilates from excised seed coats and cotyledons, by inhibiting resorption from the apoplast.     

Effect of a pretreatment of seed coats with a low-osmolality solution on subsequent [14C] sucrose transport into attached empty ovules of pea

This paper discusses the question as to whether or not the seed coat tissues can‘adapt’to a treatment with a solution containing a low osmoticum concentration, representing an environment which is sub-optimal for assimilate transport into attached surgically modified ovules. Before the start of a pulse-labelling procedure, in experiments on [¹⁴C] sucrose transport into fruits of pea (Pisum sativum) with four empty ovules, two empty ovules were filled with a low-osmolality solution (a 200 mol m^?3 mannitol medium or a solution without mannitol) and the other two ovules were filled with a 400 mol m^?3 mannitol medium. Pretreatment with a low-osmolality medium, during a period of 2–3 h, enhanced subsequent transport of [¹⁴C] sucrose into empty ovules filled with a low-osmolality medium, in comparison with [¹⁴C] sucrose transport into empty ovules filled with a 400mol m^?3 mannitol medium during the pretreatment period. This partial recovery of sink strength of attached empty ovules can be explained as the result of a stimulation of solute efflux from seed coat cells at high cell turgor.     

The invasive potential of Australian banksias in South African fynbos: A comparison of the reproductive potential of Banksia ericifolia and Leucadendron laureolum

Abstract Several taxa of the Australian Proteaceae have invaded South African fynbos and require costly management programmes to bring under control. Banksia spp. have been introduced only recently to fynbos regions. The invasive potential of Banksia ericifolia (Proteaceae) was investigated by comparing its recruitment potential with that of an indigenous proteaceous shrub, Leucadendron laureolum. Both species are overstorey shrubs that are killed by fire and rely on canopy-stored seeds (serotiny) for recruitment. Eight year old B. ericifolia shrubs produced an average of 16 500 seeds per plant, which is thirty times more than the average of 570 seeds produced by 10 year old L. laureolum shrubs. The seed bank of B. ericifolia was not only larger than that of L. laureolum (1098 vs 525 viable seeds m^?2 projected canopy cover), but also considerably larger than that described for the species in its native environment (200–330 seeds m^?2 in a 9 year old stand north of Sydney). Leucadendron laureoleum released most of its seed a few days after the cones were burnt, whereas seed release in B. ericifolia was spread over 12 weeks. The seeds of B. ericifolia had lower wingloading and fall rates than L. laureolum and were dispersed over greater distances. The relative seedling growth rates of the two species were very similar (0.03 g per day), but below-ground biomass was greater and proteoid roots were more developed in B. ericifolia seedlings than in L. laureolum after 100 days. Four year old B. ericifolia plants growing in the field had attained over twice the height of indigenous pro-teoids and accumulated up to 10 times the fresh biomass of L. xanthoconus, a species which is ecologically similar to L. laureolum. The Bioclimatic Prediction System (BIOCLIM) was used to create a bioclimatic profile of B. ericifolia and identify climatically suitable areas in the Cape Province. Results show that its potential distribution covers most fynbos areas in the southwestern Cape. It is concluded that B. ericifolia has the potential to be highly invasive in fynbos.     

Seed rain across fire-created edges in a neotropical rainforest

Human-induced wildfires are increasing in frequency in tropical forests, and their deleterious consequences for biodiversity include decreases in seed rain, which may be affected directly by fire or indirectly by the creation of edges between forest and non-forest environments. Understanding seed rain is key to assess the potential for natural regeneration in plant communities. We assessed the impact of fire and fire-created edges on seed rain species richness, abundance, size, weight, and dispersal syndromes in Atlantic Forest remnants in Bahia, Brazil. We assessed seed rain at monthly intervals for an entire year along seven 300 m-long transects placed perpendicular to the edge. We installed seed traps at the edge and at 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 150 m into the burnt area and into the forest from forest edge. We recorded a total of 9050 seeds belonging to 250 morphospecies. We did not observe edge influence; however, we detected a lower abundance and proportion of animal-dispersed seeds in the burnt than in the unburnt areas. The seed abundance in the burnt areas was lower and seeds were smaller and lighter than those in the unburnt area. Seed rain in the burnt area was not greater near to the forest than far from it. The abundance and richness of seed rain was positively correlated with tree density. Our findings highlight the lack of seed rain in burnt areas and differences in community composition between the burnt and unburnt areas. Collectively, these results indicate negative consequences on natural regeneration, which can lead to permanent secondarization of the vegetation and challenges for early regeneration of burnt areas, which will initially have impoverished forests due to low seed richness.

     

Maintenance costs of serotiny do not explain weak serotiny

Considerable variation in the duration of serotiny exists among species of both Australian and South African Proteaceae. ‘Weak’ serotiny (pre‐fire loss after <3 years) could be dictated by the costs (water or carbon) of cone/fruit retention or by benefits accruing from pre‐fire seed establishment. We determined that cones/fruits of a range of Australian and south western Cape Proteaceae species (Leucadendron xanthoconus, Aulax umbellata, L. linifolium, L. gandogeri, Hakea drupacea, H. sericea) are not sealed dead wood, but that they continuously lose H₂O and CO₂. Water loss from cones/fruits was poorly controlled, occurring in both light and dark. The rates of both H₂O and CO₂ loss from mature cones/fruits were negatively correlated with the degree of serotiny (r² = 0.59 and 0.18, respectively, P < 0.001 both). However, the amounts of H₂O and CO₂ lost per weight were small relative to the fluxes from leaves (13–29% for H₂O and 3–10% for CO₂). The [N] and [P] in the cones/fruits and seeds was substantial. Despite 25% of N and 38% of P being recovered from the cones/fruits following maturation, the loss of the cones/fruits and seeds would still incur a substantial nutrient cost. The seed [P] was positively correlated with the degree of serotiny (r² = 0.24, P = 0.001). We suggest that maintenance costs (water and carbon) of serotiny, although exceeding those of soil stored seeds, are relatively low. The correlation between the degree of serotiny and seed [P] indicates that stronger serotiny is required, much like sclerophylly, for survival under low nutrient availability in frequently burnt vegetation.     

Seed Stores for Restoration of Species-Rich Shrubland Vegetation Following Mining in Western Australia

The extreme species richness of native shrubland vegetation (kwongan) near Eneabba, Western Australia, presents a major problem in the restoration of sites following mineral sand mining. Seed sources available for post-mining restoration and those present in the native kwongan vegetation were quantified and compared. Canopy-borne seeds held in persistent woody fruits were the largest seed source of perennial species in the undisturbed native vegetation and also provided the most seeds for restoration. In undisturbed vegetation, the germinable soil seed store (140–174 seeds · m^?2) was only slightly less than the canopy-borne seed store (234–494 seeds · m^?2), but stockpiled topsoil provided only 9% of the germinable seeds applied to the post-mining habitat. The age of stockpiled soil was also important. In the three-year-old stockpiled topsoil, the seed bank was only 10.5 seeds · m^?2 in the surface 2.5 cm, compared to 56.1 to 127.6 seeds · m^?2 in fresh topsoil from undisturbed vegetation sites. In the stockpiled topsoil, most seeds were of annual species and 15–40% of the seeds were of non-native species. In the topsoil from undisturbed vegetation, over 80% of the seeds were of perennial species, and non-native species comprised only 2.7% of the seed bank. Additional seeds of native species were broadcast on restoration areas, and although this represented only 1% of the seed resources applied, the broadcast seed mix was an important resource for increasing post-mining species richness. Knowledge of the life-history characteristics of plant species may relate to seed germination patterns and assist in more accurate restoration where information on germination percentages of all species is not available.     

Ecological aspects of soil seed-banks in relation to bauxite mining. I. Unmined jarrah forest

Abstract Germinable seed stores were measured in jarrah forest soils at six sites during one year. The overall mean seed content to a depth of 5 cm was 292 seeds m^?2. There was a significant seasonal difference, with a maximum of 435 seeds m^?2 in summer, after the majority of species in this Mediterranean ecosystem had flowered and set seed, and a minimum of 207 seeds m^?2 in winter. There were also large site differences in both the densities of seed present and the species represented in the soil seed store. More than 85 species were represented in the germinable seed store from a total sampling area of 17.28 m². The germination of Acacia drummondii, Acacia pulchella, Bossiaea aquifolium, Kennedia coccinea, Lasiopeialum floribundum and Trymalium ledifolium were significantly increased by heating the soil. Smoke produced a significant positive germination response in one species (Trymalium ledifolium). To maximize the contribution of the soil seed store to mine rehabilitation, the ideal revegetation sequence is to collect the topsoil immediately after clearing the vegetation in summer, immediately return the soil to an area to be revegetated, and carry out all earthmoving, landscaping and seedbed preparations prior to the onset of the autumn rains.     

Post-dispersal predation on Pinus sylvestris seeds by Fringilla spp: ground substrate affects selection for seed color

Background matching might lower the risk of seeds being eaten by seed predators that search visually. In aviary experiments, we analyzed the selection of diff erent-colored seeds by ground-feeding finches (Fringillacoelebs and F.montifringilla) against four naturally occurring forest soil substrates. The substrates were fresh burn (black), 6-year-old burn (brown), mineral soil (pale yellow) and Pleuroziumschreberi feather moss (green). We used color-sorted seeds of Pinussylvestris, a species with a large natural variation in seed color, ranging from pale yellow to black. Although seeds were scattered on the substrates at a density of only 91 seeds m⁻², birds removed seeds effectively. Both bird species found more pale than dark seeds on the fresh burn substrate. F. montifringilla also recovered more pale than dark seeds on the old burn, and more dark than pale seeds on mineral soil. In moss, the birds found very few seeds compared to the other substrates, and there was no color discrimination. P.sylvestris is frequently regenerating after fire, suggesting that dark seeds would be favored under selection from visually searching predators. Fire-adapted conifers with serotinous cones, e.g., Pinuscontorta ssp. latifolia, which spread their seeds primarily on freshly burnt surfaces, produce uniformly black or dark brown seeds. However, regeneration of the non-serotinous P.sylvestris is often extended for several years after a fire, during which substrate color and structure change. This may have helped to maintain variation in seed color. When regeneration of a plant species occurs on a substrate of uniform color, we believe that selection by visually searching seed predators will result in the evolution of cryptic seed color. Received: 16 August 1996 / Accepted: 30 November 1996     

Effects of fire intensity on plant species composition of sandstone communities in the Sydney region

Abstract Fire intensity measures the heat output of a fire, and variation in fire intensity has been shown to have many effects on the demography of plant species, although the consequent effects on the floristic composition of communities have rarely been quantified. The effects of variation in fire intensity on the floristic composition of dry sclerophyll vegetation with different fire histories near Sydney was estimated. In particular, differences in species abundance of woodland and shrubland communities subjected to four fire‐intensity classes: unburnt, low intensity (<500 kW m^?1), medium intensity (500–2500 kW m^?1) and high intensity (>2500 kW m^?1) were examined. The samples had a standardized previous fire frequency and season, thus minimizing the effects of other aspects of the fire regime. There was a clear effect of fire intensity on the relative abundances of the vascular plant species, with increasing intensity of the fire producing vegetation that was increasingly different from the unburnt vegetation. This pattern was repeated in both the woodland and shrubland vegetation types, suggesting that it was not an artefact of the experimental conditions. However, the effects of fire intensity on floristic composition were no greater than were the differences between these two similar vegetation types, with variation in fire intensity accounting for only approximately 10% of the floristic variation. Nevertheless, the effects of fire intensity on the abundance of individual species were consistent across taxonomic groups, with the monocotyledon and Fabaceae species being more abundant at higher than lower intensities, the Proteaceae and Rutaceae more abundant at intermediate intensities, and the Epacridaceae more abundant at lower rather than higher intensities. The number of fire‐tolerant species increased with increasing fire intensity, and those fire‐tolerant species present were most abundant in the areas burnt with medium intensity. The number of fire‐sensitive species did not respond to fire intensity, and those species present were most abundant in the areas burnt with low intensity. This suggests that either fire‐sensitive species respond poorly to higher fire intensities or fire‐tolerant species respond poorly to lower fire intensities, perhaps because of differences in seed germination, seedling survival or competition among adults.