Ecologists are increasingly being drawn into the task of addressing problems of environmental degradation. They are expected to find solutions that will lead to sustainable resource use throughout the world. In doing so, the robustness of the science becomes increasingly important, and the problem of extrapolating the results of research conducted within what is usually a relatively limited geographical scope is increasingly highlighted. One approach to developing a globally robust ecology involves more or less formal intercontinental comparative studies, usually focused on the question of ecological convergence. These studies are directed at testing the prediction that similar physical and other environmental factors in different parts of the world, through their selective influences, will give rise to ecosystems which share com mon structural and functional features. Should this be true, the predictive power of ecology developed within such a framework should be sufficient to solve similar problems elsewhere in such biomes. There is a long history of such an approach in mediterranean type ecosystems, documented in a series of volumes and their accompanying scientific papers beginning with that of Di Castri and Mooney (1973).

Klappentext

The reader is provided with a comprehensive account of a pre- and post-fire study in a South African mountain fynbos ecosystem. It addresses the interaction between climate and structural features of the vegetation as it determines the incidence and behaviour of fire. The composition and structure of vegetation, the effects of fire on this as well as the responses of the individual species are examined. The responses of small mammals and ants are also covered, with focus on the consequences for the regenerating vegetation. Finally, it analyses the effects of fire on the water and mineral nutrient balance of the system, and in so doing it addresses questions on the sustainability of fire management in fynbos ecosystems. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on the comparison with other Mediterranean-type ecosystems.

Inhalt
1 The Swartboskloof Experimental Site.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Location and Physical Site Description.- 1.3 Land-Use History.- 1.4 The Vegetation of Swartboskloof.- 1.5 Fauna.- 1.6 Research Rationale and Design.- 1.7 The Fire of March 1987.- Acknowledgements.- 2 The Climate of Swartboskloof.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 The Climate of Swartboskloof in a Mediterranean-Climate Context.- 2.3 Important Climatic Parameters.- 2.4 The Influence of Climate on Fire.- 2.5 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 3 Fuel Properties of Vegetation in Swartboskloof.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 The Description of Vegetation as Fuel.- 3.3 The Fuel Properties of Vegetation in Swartboskloof.- 3.4 Fire in Fynbos and Forest Patches in Swartboskloof..- 3.5 The Effects of Invasion by Alien Trees and Shrubs on Fuel Properties.- 3.6 Fuel in Swartboskloof and Other Ecosystems.- 3.7 Conclusions.- 4 Regeneration Strategies in Fynbos Plants and Their Influence on the Stability of Community Boundaries After Fire.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Survival Mechanisms and Vital Attributes of Species.- 4.3 Results and Discussion.- Acknowledgements.- 5 Is Fynbos a Stage in Succession to Forest? Analysis of the Perceived Ecological Distinction Between Two Communities.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Fire and the Stability of Forest/Fynbos Boundaries.- 5.3 Colonization of Fynbos by Forest Species.- 5.4 Factors Influencing Forest Development.- 5.5 Synthesis.- Acknowledgements.- 6 Coexistence of Seeders and Sprouters in a Fire-Prone Environment: the Role of Ecophysiology and Soil Moisture.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Ecophysiological Characteristics of Seeders and Sprouters in Swartboskloof.- 6.3 Comparison of Swartboskloof with Other Regions.- 6.4 Community Composition Along a Moisture Gradient.- 6.5 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 7 The Relative Advantages of Seeding and Sprouting in Fire-Prone Environments: a Comparison of Life Histories of Protea neriifolia and Protea nitida.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Population Growth after Fire.- 7.3 Mortality Rates.- 7.4 Age at Maturity.- 7.5 Seed Production and Seed Banks.- 7.6 Seed Germination.- 7.7 Recruitment Between Fires.- 7.8 Effects of Fire Frequency.- 7.9 Coexistence of Seeders and Sprouters.- 7.10 Implications for Management.- 7.11 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 8 Life Cycles and Fire-Stimulated Flowering in Geophytes.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 The Life Cycle of Watsonia borbonica (Iridaceae).- 8.3 The Life Cycle of Cyrtanthus ventricosus (Amaryllidaceae).- 8.4 Fire Season and the Flowering Response of Watsonia borbonica.- 8.5 Proximate Cues for Flowering.- 8.6 Factors Favouring the Evolution of Fire-Stimulated Flowering.- 8.7 Geophyte Life Cycles and the Type of Flowering Response.- 8.8 Effect of Frequent Fires on Watsonia borbonica.- 8.9 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 9 Why Is Mountain Fynbos Invasible and Which Species Invade?.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 What Makes Terrestrial Plant Communities Invasible?.- 9.3 Plant Invasions in Mountain Fynbos: Why and How?.- 9.4 Which Species Invade?.- 9.5 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 10 Do Small Mammals Govern Vegetation Recovery After Fire in Fynbos?.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Methods.- 10.3 Results.- 10.4 Discussion.- 10.5 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 11 The Influence of Fire, Vegetation Age and Argentine Ants (Iridomyrmex humilis) on Ant Communities in Swartboskloof.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Methods.- 11.3 Results and Discussion.- Acknowledgements.- 12 The Effects of Fire on Soil Water Repellency, Catchment Sediment Yields and Streamflow.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 Methods and Results.- 12.3 Discussion.- 12.4 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 13 Fire and Catchment Chemical Budgets.- 13.1 Introduction.- 13.2 Approach and Methods.- 13.3 Atmospheric Deposition.- 13.4 Stream Water Chemistry.- 13.5 Mineral Nutrient Budgets.- 13.6 The Effect of Fire.- 13.7 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 14 Soil Microorganisms and Activities in Relation to Season, Soil Factors and Fire.- 14.1 Introduction.- 14.2 Soil Chemical, Physical and Microbiological Investigations.- 14.3 Effects of Season.- 14.4 Effects of Soil Type and Depth.- 14.5 Effects of Fire.- 14.6 Rhizosphere Stimulation of Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria in Post-Fire Soils in Relation to General Rhizosphere Effect.- 14.7 Intercontinental Comparisons.- Acknowledgements.- 15 Ecosystem, Community and Species Response to Fire in Mountain Fynbos: Conclusions from the Swartboskloof Experiment.- 15.1 Introduction.- 15.2 Population-Level Effects of Fire.- 15.3 Community-Level Effects of Fire.- 15.4 Ecosystem-Level Effects of Fire.- 15.5 Managing Fire in Mountain Fynbos.- References.