| Abstract: | Changes in coastal heath vegetation were measured for 6 years following a wildfire and the data compared with the pre-fire vegetation. For the first 2 years changes were related to time; after that environmental factors dominated the process of regeneration. During the first 4 years plant species spread rapidly and maximum species diversity per plot was reached 4 years after the fire. About the same time many species consolidated their position in the community; this being shown by cover levels greater than before the fire for some species. Six years after the fire the vegetation is still dynamic and very different when compared with the heath before burning. |
