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.- 1.4.1 Specialized Hygrophilous Communities.- 1.4.2 Short to Tall Proteoid Shrublands.- 1.4.3 Ericoid-Restioid Shrublands.- 1.4.4 Short Riparian Forest Communities.- 1.4.5 Tall Forests.- 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.- 2.3.1 Rainfall.- 2.3.2 Temperature and Vapour Pressure Deficit.- 2.3.3 Radiation.- 2.3.4 Evaporation.- 2.3.5 Wind.- 2.3.6 Periods of Drought.- 2.4 The Influence of Climate on Fire.- 2.4.1 Lightning as an Ignition Source.- 2.4.2 Climate and the Probability of Fire.- 2.5 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 3 Fuel Properties of Vegetation in Swartboskloof.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 The Description of Vegetation as Fuel.- 3.2.1 Subdivision of Biomass into Fuel Classes.- 3.2.2 Fuel Arrangement.- 3.2.3 Fuel Energy Contents.- 3.2.4 Fuel Models.- 3.2.5 Fuel Buildup and Decay.- 3.3 The Fuel Properties of Vegetation in Swartboskloof.- 3.3.1 Fuel Loads, Fuel Buildup and the Probability of Fire.- 3.3.2 Fuel Arrangement.- 3.3.3 Seasonal Trends in Fuel Moisture Content.- 3.3.4 Live Plants.- 3.3.5 Dead Fuel Moisture.- 3.3.6 Energy and Crude Fat Contents of Selected Species..- 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.- 4.2.1 Systems for the Classification of Species.- 4.2.2 Selection and Characterization of Species.- 4.3 Results and Discussion.- 4.3.1 Spectra of Fire Response and Vital Attribute Types..- 4.3.2 Age at Maturity.- 4.3.3 Longevity of Individuals and Seed Banks.- 4.3.4 The Timing of Critical Life History Events.- 4.3.5 Differences Between Communities.- 4.3.6 Fire and the Stability of Community Boundaries.- 4.3.7 Comparison to Other Fire-Prone Shrublands.- 4.3.8 Fire, Resilience and Dynamics in Fynbos.- 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.- 5.2.1 The Effects of Fire on Forest Boundaries in Swartboskloof.- 5.2.2 Soil Seed Banks.- 5.3 Colonization of Fynbos by Forest Species.- 5.3.1 Post-Fire Seed Deposition.- 5.3.2 Germination Requirements.- 5.3.3 Development of Forest in Fynbos Between Fires.- 5.4 Factors Influencing Forest Development.- 5.4.1 The Role of Nutrients in Forest Development.- 5.4.2 Soil Moisture.- 5.4.3 Historical Factors.- 5.5 Synthesis.- 5.5.1 Fynbos Succession.- 5.5.2 Determinants of the Rate of Succession.- 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.- 6.3.1 Other Fynbos Areas.- 6.3.2 Californian Chaparral.- 6.3.3 Australian Kwongan.- 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.- 7.1.1 Evolution of Seed Regeneration in Mediterranean Shrublands.- 7.1.2 Trade-Offs Linked to Seeding and Sprouting.- 7.1.3 Hypotheses.- 7.2 Population Growth after Fire.- 7.3 Mortality Rates.- 7.3.1 Protea neriifolia.- 7.3.2 Protea nitida.- 7.4 Age at Maturity.- 7.5 Seed Production and Seed Banks.- 7.5.1 Protea neriifolia.- 7.5.2 Protea nitida.- 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.- 8.1.1 Factors that Stimulate Flowering After Fires.- 8.1.2 Factors Favouring the Evolution of Fire-Stimulated Flowering.- 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?.- 9.3.1 Invasions by Trees and Shrubs.- 9.3.2 Why is Mountain Fynbos Invasible?.- 9.3.3 How is Mountain Fynbos Invaded?.- 9.4 Which Species Invade?.- 9.4.1 Describing a Good Invader.- 9.4.2 Those That Have Made It: Pines and Hakeas.- 9.5 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 10 Do Small Mammals Govern Vegetation Recovery After Fire in Fynbos?.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Methods.- 10.2.1 Factors Affecting the Distribution and Size of Small Mammal Populations.- 10.2.2 Vegetation Factors Affecting Habitat Selection by Small Mammals.- 10.2.3 The Effect of Small Mammals on Plant Regeneration.- 10.2.3.1 Factors Affecting Plant Establishment in Mature Fynbos.- 10.2.3.2 Factors Affecting Plant Establishment After Fire in Fynbos.- 10.3 Results.- 10.3.1 Post-Fire Development of Small Mammal Communities.- 10.3.2 Vegetation Factors Affecting Habitat Selection by Small Mammals.- 10.3.2.1 The Relationship Between Floristic Communities and Small Mammal Occurrence.- 10.3.2.2 The Relationship Between Structure of the Vegetation and Small Mammal Densities.- 10.3.2.3 Survival and Recolonization Strategies of Small Mammals.- 10.3.3 The Effect of Small Mammals on Plant Regeneration.- 10.3.3.1 Factors Affecting Plant Establishment in Mature Fynbos.- 10.3.3.2 Factors Affecting Plant Establishment in Burnt Fynbos.- 10.4 Discussion.- 10.4.1 Post-Fire Development of Small Mammal Communities.- 10.4.2 Factors Affecting Habitat Selection by Small Mammals.- 10.4.3 Do Small Mammals Limit Protea Regeneration from Seed?.- 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.- 11.2.1 Locality of Study Sites.- 11.2.2 Extent and Rate of Invasion by Argentine Ants in Swartboskloof.- 11.2.3 Ant Surveys.- 11.2.4 Data Analysis.- 11.3 Results and Discussion.- 11.3.1 Extent and Rate of Invasion by Argentine Ants in Swartboskloof.- 11.3.2 Ant Species Collected.- 11.3.3 Similarity of Ant Species Composition.- 11.3.4 Ant Diversity Patterns.- 11.3.5 Impact of Fire.- Acknowledgements.- 12 The Effects of Fire on Soil Water Repellency, Catchment Sediment Yields and Streamflow.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 Methods and Results.- 12.2.1 Studies at the Whole Catchment Level.- 12.2.1.1 Effects of Fire on Streamflow.- 12.2.1.2 Effects of Fire on Catchment Sediment Yields.- 12.2.2 Surface Runoff Plots.- 12.2.3 Water-Repellent Soils.- 12.3 Discussion.- 12.3.1 Studies at the Whole Catchment Level.- 12.3.1.1 Effects of Fire on Streamflow.- 12.3.1.2 Effects of Fire on Catchment Sediment Yields.- 12.3.2 Surface Runoff Plots.- 12.3.3 Water-Repellent Soils.- 12.3.4 Integration of Catchment, Plot and Profile Level Studies.- 12.4 Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- 13 Fire and Catchment Chemical Budgets.- 13.1 Introduction.- 13.2 Approach and Methods.- 13.2.1 Data Collection and Analysis.- 13.2.2 Statistical Treatment of Data.- 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.- 14.2.1 Experimental Soils.- 14.2.2 Soil pH.- 14.2.3 Soil Moisture.- 14.2.4 Soil Microbial Respiratory Activity.- 14.2.5 Soil Microbial ATP.- 14.2.6 Fungal, Actinomycete and Non-Actinomycete Bacterial Biomass.- 14.2.7 Post-Fire Soil Populations of Fungi and Bacteria by Plate Count.- 14.2.8 Post-Fire Soil and Rhizosphere Populations of Bacteria and Apparent Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria by Plate Count.- 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.- 14.7.1 Microbial Activity and Biomass in Relation to Seasonal Factors.- 14.7.2 Microbial Activity and Biomass in Relation to Soil Factors.- 14.7.3 Effects of Fire on Soil Microorganisms and Their Activities.- 14.7.4 Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria in Mediterranean Regions in Relation to Fire.- 14.8 Conclusions.- 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.
