New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts
Vegetation recovery after fire on a southern New Zealand peatland
P. N. JOHNSON
Landcare Research
Private Bag 1930
Dunedin, New Zealand
Email: JohnsonP@landcare.cri.nz
Abstract The effects of fires on conservation values and in
determining present-day vegetation are poorly known in New Zealand. This study
of vegetation recovery at Awarua Bog, Southland, began after a fire in 1985.
Nine samplings were recorded over 10 years from permanent transects in six
vegetation types: mixed
Baumea-
Empodisma bog,
Leptospermum
scrub,
Pteridium fernland,
Sphagnum bog,
Chionochloa
grassland, and
Ulex scrub. Rapid initial vegetative regrowth was mainly
by rhizomatous species. Low-growing species (herbaceous dicotyledons, grasses,
bryophytes) peaked in abundance 15-22 months after fire but subsequently
declined in cover or disappeared.
Leptospermum shrubs established
rapidly from seed; epacrid shrub species established later and more slowly.
Former dominants (e.g.,
Empodisma minus,
Gleichenia dicarpa, and
Chionochloa rubra) were slow to recover.
Sphagnum recovery was
mainly by slow recolonisation of fire-bared peat, rather than regrowth of
fire-damaged former cushions. Cushion bog (
Donatia novae-zelandiae) is
particularly sensitive to fire and very slow to recover. Fire provides open
sites for gorse (
Ulex europaeus) establishment, but also easy access for
its eradication. Long-term fire prevention and prompt containment protect
conservation values.
Keywords Awarua Bog; peatland; fire; vegetation recovery;
vegetation history; seed banks; dispersal; conservation management
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2001, Vol. 39: 251-267
0028-825X/01/3902-0251 $7.00 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 2001
B99056
Received 10 November 1999; accepted 8 January 2001
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (3156K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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