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The impact of experimental fire regimes on seed production in two tropical eucalypt species in northern Australia

Setterfield, SA (1997). The impact of experimental fire regimes on seed production in two tropical eucalypt species in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology,22(3):279-287.

Document type: Journal Article
Citation counts: Scopus Citation Count Cited 27 times in Scopus Article | Citations

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Title The impact of experimental fire regimes on seed production in two tropical eucalypt species in northern Australia
Author Setterfield, SA
Journal Name Australian Journal of Ecology
Publication Date 1997
Volume Number 22
Issue Number 3
ISSN 0307-692X   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
Scopus ID 2-s2.0-17444401409
Start Page 279
End Page 287
Total Pages 9
Place of Publication Melbourne
Publisher Blackwell Publishing
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DEST)
Abstract This study investigated the effect of three experimental fire regimes on the fecundity, ovule development and seedfall of two common wet-dry tropical savanna eucalypts, Eucalyptus miniata and Eucalyptus tetrodonta, in northern Australia. Both species flower early in the dry season and ovule development occurs during the dry season. This coincides with a period of frequent fires. The three fire regimes considered were applied for four years between 1990 and 1994. These regimes were (i) Unburnt, (ii) Early, fires lit early in the dry season, and (iii) Late, fires lit late in the dry season. The treatments were applied to nine catchments (15-20 km2) with each fire regime replicated three times. Fire intensity typically increases as the dry season proceeds. Therefore, early dry season fires generally differ from late dry season fires in both their intensity and their timing in relation to the reproductive phenology of the eucalypts. Late dry season burning significantly reduced the fecundity of both species, whereas Early burning had no significant effect. Ovule success was significantly reduced by the Early burning for both species. The Late burning significantly reduced ovule success in E. tetrodonta, but not in E. miniata. The results suggest that fire intensity and fire timing may both be important determinants of seed supply. Fire intensity may be a determinant of fecundity, whereas fire timing in relation to the reproduction phenology may have a significant impact on ovule survival. Both fire regimes resulted in a substantial reduction in seed supply compared with the Unburnt treatment. This may have a significant impact on seedling regeneration of these tropical savanna eucalypts.
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1997.tb00673.x   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
Additional Notes Current title (from 1999) Austral Ecology: a journal of ecology in the Southern Hemisphere (ISSN: 1442-9985)
 
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