Ariani et al. 2004 (Article) Brazil, Fire

The negative effect of fire on populations of three bromeliad species at a restinga habitat in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Author(s):—C.V. Ariani, V.A.d. Menezes, D. Vrcibradic & C.F.D. Rocha

Publication:—Vidalia 2(2): 44-48. (2004)

Abstract:—Dunas da Joaquina Restinga is one of the most important restinga remaining in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. In December 2003, a fire affected a large part of the vegetation in this area, including the bromeliad community. The number of individual bromeliads at the study site, biomass (g), number of ramets per genet, and the total number of the three most common species in the area [Vriesea friburgensis Mez, Dyckia encholirioides (Gaud.) Mez and Aechmea nudicaulis (L.) Griseb.] were estimated from the remaining bromeliad tanks. An estimate of 627,900 V. friburgensis individuals, 371,125 D. encholirioides and 35,972 A. nudicaulis were destroyed in the totally burnt area. The mean number of ramets per genet was 2.01 for V. friburgensis, 2.02 for Dyckia encholirioides and 3.63 for Aechmea nudicaulis. The estimated total biomass loss for each species was 2.85 ton/ha for Vriesea friburgensis, 2.31 ton/ha for Dyckia encholirioides and 0.11 ton/ha for Aechmea nudicaulis. The data indicate that the fire caused a considerable loss of green biomass of each species in the burnt area. As the bromeliads maintain a high diversity of associated organisms, the local diversity loss due to fire was potentially high.

Keywords:—Bromeliaceae, Santa Catarina, restinga, fire.