A5007251875- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Plant and animal studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Forest ecology and management
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Groundwater flow and contamination studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Forest Management and Policy
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
University of Cape Town
2016-2025
South African Environmental Observation Network
2015-2024
National Research Foundation
2015-2024
City of Cape Town
2023
Sapienza University of Rome
2021
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech
2015
Université d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse
2015
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
2010-2015
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
2015
Instituto Florestal
2015
Fire is a worldwide phenomenon that appears in the geological record soon after appearance of terrestrial plants. influences global ecosystem patterns and processes, including vegetation distribution structure, carbon cycle, climate. Although humans fire have always coexisted, our capacity to manage remains imperfect may become more difficult future as climate change alters regimes. This risk assess, however, because fires are still poorly represented models. Here, we discuss some most...
Abstract Plant traits – the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants their organs determine how primary producers respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, influence ecosystem processes services provide a link from species richness functional diversity. Trait data thus represent raw material for wide range research evolutionary biology, community ecology biogeography. Here we present global database initiative named...
Mary E. Power is a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, University California, Berkeley, CA 94720. David Tilman Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108. James A. Estes wildlife biologist National Biological Service, Institute Marine Science, Santa Cruz, 95064. Bruce Menge Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. William J. Bond doctor Botany, Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700 South Africa. L. Scott Mills an assistant Wildlife Biology Program,...
This paper is the first global study of extent to which fire determines vegetation patterns by preventing ecosystems from achieving potential height, biomass and dominant functional types expected under ambient climate (climate potential). To determine potential, we simulated without using a dynamic global-vegetation model. Model results were tested against exclusion studies different parts world. Simulated growth forms tree cover compared with satellite-derived land- tree-cover maps....
Abstract Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, influence ecosystem properties their benefits detriments people. trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area research spanning from evolutionary biology, community functional ecology, biodiversity conservation, landscape management, restoration, biogeography earth system...
Humans and their ancestors are unique in being a fire-making species, but 'natural' (i.e. independent of humans) fires have an ancient, geological history on Earth. Natural influenced biological evolution global biogeochemical cycles, making fire integral to the functioning some biomes. Globally, debate rages about impact ecosystems prehistoric human-set fires, with views ranging from catastrophic negligible. Understanding diversity human regimes Earth past, present future remains...
Summary 1 Savanna ecosystems are characterized by the codominance of two different life forms: grasses and trees. An operational understanding how these forms coexist is essential for savanna function predicting its response to future environmental change. 2 The existing model, which proposes that trees a separation rooting niches, not supported recent empirical investigations. Our aim was define an alternative mechanism grass–tree coexistence in ecosystems. model we have built concentrates...
Though the distribution of global vegetation can generally be predicted from climate, grasslands are an exception. C 4 grassy biomes cover vast areas that warm enough and wet to support closed forests. The extent this climate mismatch has been revealed by physiologically based simulations large empirical data sets. Reasons for existence have long debated, polarized into bottom-up (resources) or top-down (fire, herbivory) arguments. Recent studies indicate both important, especially in...
Savanna ecosystems are characterized by the co-occurrence of trees and grasses. In this paper, we argue that balance between grasses is, to a large extent, determined indirect interactive effects herbivory fire. These based on positive feedback fuel load (grass biomass) fire intensity. An increase in level grazing leads reduced load, which makes less intense and, thus, damaging consequently, results an woody vegetation. The system then switches from state with solely trees. Similarly,...
The question of which factors limit the occurrence a plant species to particular site is addressed by considering 53 cases in distribution pines (Pinus species; Pinaceae) has changed last century. We consider expansions and adjacent their natural ranges Northern Hemisphere spread from sites introduction Southern well outside contemporary range pines. first neutral hypothesis (with respect climate or biological interactions as determinants invasion): invasion simply requires that present...
Ecologists have long sought to understand the factors controlling structure of savanna vegetation. Using data from 2154 sites in savannas across Africa, Australia, and South America, we found that increasing moisture availability drives increases fire tree basal area, whereas reduces area. However, among continents, magnitude these effects varied substantially, so a single model cannot adequately represent woody biomass regions. Historical environmental differences drive regional variation...
There is a voluminous literature on pollination and dispersal, very little of which deals with the consequences reproductive failure its most extreme consequence: extinction. The risk plant extinctions can be assessed by considering probability dispersal or pollinator failure, dependence mutualism demographic seeds. Traits for ranking species rapidly according to these three criteria are indicated. Analysis case studies suggests that plants often compensate high in one categories low...
• We aimed to identify the limits of savanna across Africa, Australia and South America. based our investigation on rich history hypotheses previously examined: that are variously determined by rainfall, rainfall seasonality, soil fertility disturbance. categorized vegetation all continents as 'savanna' (open habitats with a C4 grass layer) or 'not-savanna' (closed no used combination statistical approaches examine how presence varied function five environmental correlates. The is...
Summary We propose that elevated CO 2 may have a significant positive effect on woody plant success and thus favour tree invasion thickening in grass‐dominated ecosystems. note savanna biomass is strongly constrained by disturbance, particularly fire, could act to reduce this constraint. Our argument combines knowledge of recovery from injury after grassland fires, with theory about carbon acquisition carbohydrate storage patterns C3 plants response . simply will tend regrowth juvenile trees...