A native C 3 grass alters fuels and fire spread in montane grassland of South Africa

摘要: Although most fire research in plant ecology focuses on vegetation responses to burning, shifts community composition wrought by climate change can wildland fuelbeds and affect behaviour such that the nature of these systems is altered. Changes introduce substantially different fuel types alter spatial extent fire, with potential impacts succession biodiversity. Montane grasslands sub-Saharan Africa are threatened because species distributions shift climatically determined ranges. We studied impact patches temperate C3 grass Festuca costata C4-dominated grassland at transition between their subalpine ranges South Africa’s Drakensberg. used empirical data moisture load across F. costata-dominated a matrix spread models predict effect larger, higher-moisture fire. Results indicate reduces burn probability patches, increases as live get larger. However, native species, does not appear have extreme, fire-suppressing non-native grasses other C4 grasslands. Instead, likely increase variability this grassland, which translates succession.