Fire and regeneration from seeds in a warming world, with emphasis on Australia
Publication Name
Plant Regeneration from Seeds: A Global Warming Perspective
Abstract
Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity, and size of fire events due to longer and more sustained droughts and heatwaves. The potential for regeneration of plants from seeds in fire-prone regions that will be impacted by climate change is due to (1) changes in the environmental conditions experienced by parent plants, seeds, and seedlings, and (2) changes in the fire regime. One of the clearest projections of the impacts of climate change is the switching of fire regimes away from historic patterns, which is likely to cause changes in species abundance and persistence and associated changes in community composition. In the worst scenario, shifts in fire regime will increase the risk of local extinction. Further understanding the response of species to climate-driven shifts, particularly in the context of shorter intervals between fires, will help us predict which species will persist and which may decline in number of individuals under climate change and provide some guidance of actions required for conservation in fire-prone ecosystems.
Open Access Status
This publication is not available as open access
First Page
229
Last Page
242