Fitness benefits of serotiny in fire- and drought-prone environments

Causley, Casey Lee; Fowler, William M.; Lamont, Byron B.; He, Tianhua

doi:10.1007/s11258-015-0552-y

Cited by 53 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Serotiny restricts seedling recruitment to the immediate post‐fire environment when the opportunities for regeneration are optimal (Lamont, Witkowski & Enright ; Causley et al . ). Removal of the dense canopy by fire also promotes wind dispersal of the released seeds (Lamont ; He et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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A 350‐million‐year legacy of fire adaptation among conifers

Belcher

Lamont

et al. 2015

Journal of Ecology

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Summary Current phylogenetic evidence shows that fire began shaping the evolution of land plants 125 Ma, although the fossil charcoal record indicates that fire has a much longer history (>350 Ma). Serotiny (on‐plant seed storage) is generally accepted as an adaptation to fire among woody plants. We developed a conceptual model of the requirements for the evolution of serotiny, and propose that serotiny is only expressed in the presence of a woody rachis as supporting structure, compact scales covering seeds as protective structure, seed wing as dispersal structure, and crown fire as the agent of selection and mechanism for seed release. This model is strongly supported by empirical data for modern ecosystems. We reconstructed the evolutionary history of intrinsic structural states required for the expression of serotiny in conifers, and show that these were diagnostic for early (‘transitional’) conifers from 332 Ma (late‐Carboniferous). We assessed the likely flammable characteristics of early conifers and found that scale‐leaved conifers burn rapidly and with high intensity, supporting the idea that crown fire regimes may have dominated early conifer ecosystems. Synthesis. Coupled with strong evidence for frequent fire throughout the Permian‐Carboniferous and fossil evidence for other fire‐related traits, we conclude that many early conifers were serotinous in response to intense crown fires, indicating that fire may have had a major impact on the evolution of plant traits as far back as 350 Ma.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…; He, Lamont & Downes ; Causley et al . ). Besides, seasonal drought and incidence of fire are inextricably related (Pausas & Keeley ): it is unknown for vegetation subject to bouts of dryness not also to be fire‐prone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

A 350‐million‐year legacy of fire adaptation among conifers

Belcher

Lamont

et al. 2015

Journal of Ecology

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“…Resilience traits enable recovery of the individual after fire, such as by a vigorous resprouting response (Clarke et al 2013c), but may also involve fire-cued recruitment from seed (e.g. serotiny; Clarke et al 2010aClarke et al , 2013bClarke et al , 2016a, which increases the longrun fitness of an individual (Causley et al 2016;this issue). While resilience traits enable recovery after fire, resistance traits such as thick bark (Schubert et al 2016; this issue) protect individuals from the effects of fire (Lawes et al 2011a(Lawes et al , 2011c, reducing the costs to individuals of recovery after fire.…”

Section: Plants Responses To Firementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Causley et al (2016;this issue) found that fire enhanced fitness of serotinous species more than drought death. Causley et al (2016) concluded that serotiny/pyriscence enhances species fitness by releasing seeds into an optimal post-fire habitat, supporting the proposition that serotiny is a specific adaptation to fire.…”

Section: Recruitment Responses To Firementioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in understanding the influence of fire on the ecology and evolution of plants: a tribute to Peter J. Clarke

2016

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In this special issue of Plant Ecology celebrating the research contributions of the late Peter J. Clarke, we review advances in understanding of interactions between fire and vegetation, and the role of these interactions in shaping the evolution of plant species. The research presented here reviews the measurement of fire severity and plant responses to it, particularly through resistance traits such as thick bark, and resilience traits such as regenerative organs and fire-cued recruitment. It explores genetic and ecological evidence for evolutionary hypotheses that provide insights into associations among plant traits and the causes of their non-random distribution across fireprone landscapes. At these larger scales, the advances include new evidence for existence of fire-mediated alternative stable states and improved understanding of how ecological responses to fire might change under future climates. The diversity of subjects and scales of ecological organisation addressed in this collection of papers reflect the breadth and depth of Peter Clarke's legacy in fire ecology.

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“…). However, a study of six serotinous Proteaceaeous species showed that, relative to post‐fire environments, seed production was lower and germination and establishment success reduced in drought conditions (Causley et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Exploring fire adaptation in a land with little fire: serotiny in Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae)

Battersby

Wilmshurst

Curran

et al. 2017

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Immigrant floras often have distinctive traits, well suited to the host region but absent from the autochthonous flora. An example is serotiny in the New Zealand (NZ) small tree, Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) belonging to a strongly fire‐adapted Australian clade. Serotiny in L. scoparium has been attributed either to strong selection by fire since human settlement, or taken as evidence that pre‐human fire in NZ was more important than assumed. By integrating field data, experimental analyses and long‐term fire histories, we sought to explain the spatial pattern of serotiny in L. scoparium in NZ, and evaluate these two explanations. Location New Zealand. Methods We quantified the distribution of serotiny in L. scoparium by analysing 137 populations distributed across NZ (two previous studies and ours), including 31 with Holocene fire histories. We assessed the relationship of serotiny with a suite of fire and climate environmental predictors, and between serotiny and shoot‐level flammability. Results Serotiny was strongly positively associated with latitude (more in the north), lower rainfall and higher temperatures. Serotinous populations were rare at sites with no history of fire. Serotiny was most prevalent in northern wetlands, where fire was recurrent during the Holocene, but was nearly absent from the southwestern Southern Alps. Shoot‐level flammability and serotiny were not correlated. Main conclusions The distribution of serotiny in L. scoparium relates not only to current environments but also to the legacy of regional shifts in vegetation during Quaternary glacial–interglacial cycles. Serotiny was maintained where the landscape experienced sporadic fire, but it is absent from NZ's southern South Island because the sparse, open vegetation during the glacials did not support fire. Serotinous L. scoparium populations were therefore more common in the northern North Island. Human transformation of the fire regime over the last 750 years has likely favoured the spread of serotinous populations.

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Fitness benefits of serotiny in fire- and drought-prone environments

Cited by 53 publications

References 31 publications

A 350‐million‐year legacy of fire adaptation among conifers

A 350‐million‐year legacy of fire adaptation among conifers

Advances in understanding the influence of fire on the ecology and evolution of plants: a tribute to Peter J. Clarke

Exploring fire adaptation in a land with little fire: serotiny in Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae)

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