Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Smoke and heat: influence on seedling emergence from the germinable soil seed bank of mesic grassland in South Africa

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examined if germination and seedling emergence of species from the soil seed bank of mesic grassland in South Africa differed in their response to smoke or heat treatments alone or combined. Soil seed bank samples taken from 0 to 5 cm depth of the topsoil were treated with smoke-water solution, heat and heat + smoke-water combined and subsequent emergence of seedlings monitored over 90 days. In total, 790 individuals from 11 different plant families representing 37 graminoid (Poaceae) and non-graminoid species of flowering plants were identified. The most abundant plant families that emerged were Poaceae followed by Asteraceae. Grasses contributed 18% of the germinable seed bank, while non-grass (forbs and trees) species contributed >80%. The most abundant grass species that emerged was Themeda triandra and the most common forb species was Centella asiatica. Compared to the control, smoke-water (SW) and/or smoke-water + heat (H + SW) treatment resulted in a 1.6-fold increase in mean number of seedling emergence. SW and H + SW treatment of soil seed bank also resulted in fourfold to fivefold greater biomass production. These results suggest that emergence of some smoke-responsive perennial grasses (e.g. Themeda triandra) from the soil seed bank can be enhanced using smoke techniques. Moreover, plant-derived smoke could potentially have a significant role in the restoration of degraded grasslands in South Africa and elsewhere.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acocks JPH (1988) Veld types of South Africa. Mem Bot Sur S Afr 57:1–146. Pretoria, South Africa, Botanical Research Institute

  • Adams K (1996) Influence of sward defoliation and soil disturbance on seedling emergence and survival in the southern tall Grassveld. Afr J Range Forage Sci 13:131–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton PMS, Harris PG, Thadani R (1998) Soil seed bank dynamics in relation to topographic position of a mixed-deciduous forest in southern New England. USA For Ecol Manag 111:15–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auld TD, Keith DA, Bradstock RA (2000) Patterns in longevity of soil seed banks in fire-prone communities of south-eastern Australia. Aust J Bot 48:539–548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baxter B, Van Staden J, Granger J, Brown NAC (1994) Plant-derived smoke and smoke extracts stimulate seed germination of the fire-climax grass Themeda triandra. Env Exp Bot 34:217–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayer AW (1955) The ecology of grassland. In: Meredith D (ed) The grasses and pastures of South Africa. C.N.A, Johannesburg, pp 539–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Bekker RM, Verweij GL, Smith REN, Reine R, Bakker JP, Schneider S (1997) Soil seed banks in European grasslands: does land use affect regeneration perspectives. J Appl Ecol 34:1293–1310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellairs SM, Bell DT (1993) Seed stores for restoration of species-rich shrubland vegetation following mining in Western Australia. Rest Ecol 1:231–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilbro J, Wanjura D (1982) Soil crusts and cotton emergence relationships. Trans Amer Soc Ass Exec 25:1484–1487

    Google Scholar 

  • Blank R, Young J (1998) Heated substrate and smoke: influence on seed emergence and plant growth. J Range Manag 51:577–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown NAC (1993) Promotion of germination of fynbos seeds by plant-derived smoke. The New Phytol 123:575–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke S, French K (2005) Germination response to heat and smoke of 22 Poaceae species from grassy woodlands. Aust J Bot 53:445–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Czarnecka J (2004) Seed longevity and recruitment of seedlings in xerothermic grassland. Polish J Ecol 52:505–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Enright NJ, Goldblum D, Ata P, Ashton DH (1997) The independent effects of heat, smoke and ash on emergence of seedlings from the soil seed bank of a healthy Eucalyptus woodland in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, western Victoria. Aust J Ecol 22:81–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Everson T (1994) Seedling establishment of Themeda triandra Forssk. in the Montane grasslands of Natal. PhD thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

  • Figueroa JA, Cavieres LA, Gómez-gonzález S, Montenegro MM, Jaksic FM (2009) Do heat and smoke increase emergence of exotic and native plants in the matorral of central Chile? Acta Oecol 35:335–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fynn R, Morris C, Edwards T (2005) Effect of burning and mowing on grass and forb composition in a long-term grassland experiment. Appl Veg Sci 8:5–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GenStat (2008) GENSTAT® version 11.1. VSN International Ltd., Hemel Hempstead HP1 1ES, UK

  • Ghebrehiwot HM, Kulkarni MG, Kirkman KPJ, Van Staden J (2009) Smoke solutions and temperature influence the germination and seedling vigour of South African mesic grassland species. Range Ecol Manage 62:572–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granger JE, Bredenkamp GJ (1996) Short mistbelt grassland. In: Low AB, Rebelo TA (eds) Vegetation of South Africa. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Lesotho and Swaziland, Pretoria, p. 50

  • Grant CD, Koch JM (1997) Ecological aspects of soil seed banks in relation to bauxite mining. II. Twelve year old rehabilitated mines. Austr J Ecol 22:177–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keith D (1997) Combined effects of heat shock, smoke and darkness on germination of Epacris stuartii Stapf., an endangered fire-prone Australian shrub. Oecologia 112:340–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kulkarni MG, Ascough GD, Verschaeve L, Baeten K, Arruda MP, Van Staden J (2010) Effect of smoke-water and a smoke-isolated butenolide on the growth and genotoxicity of commercial onion. Sci Horti 124:434–439

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Light ME, Burger BV, Staerk D, Kohout L, Van Staden J (2010) Butenolides from plant-derived smoke: natural plant-growth regulators with antagonistic actions on seed germination. J Nat Prod 73:267–269

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Major J, Pyott WT (1966) Buried viable seeds in two Californian bunchgrass sites and their bearing on the definition of a flora. Vegetatio 13:253–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAllister J (2003) Fire and the South African grassland biome. In: Stephen D, Ruth E, Bill G (eds) South Africa’s environmental history: cases and comparisons. Ohio University Press, Athens, pp 160–174

    Google Scholar 

  • McDougall KL (1989) The re-establishment of Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass): implications for the restoration of grassland. Arthur Rylah institute for environmental research technical report series no. 89. Department of Conservations, Forests and Lands, Victoria, Australia

  • Moreira B, Tormo J, Estrelles E, Pausas JG (2010) Disentangling the role of heat and smoke as germination cues in Mediterranean Basin flora. Ann Bot 105:627–635

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan J, Lunt I (1999) Effects of time-since-fire on the tussock dynamics of a dominant grass (Themeda triandra) in a temperate Australian grassland. Biol Cons 88:379–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor TG (1991) Local extinction in perennial grassland. A life history approach. Amer Nat 137:753–773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor TG (1996) Hierarchical control over seedling recruitment of the bunch-grass Themeda triandra in a semi-arid savanna. J Appl Ecol 33:1094–1106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor TG (1997) Microsite influence on seed longevity and seedling emergence of a bunch-grass (Themeda triandra) in a semi-arid savanna. Afr J Range For Sci 14:7–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Read T, Bellairs S, Mulligan D, Lamb D (2000) Smoke and heat effects on soil seed bank germination for the re-establishment of a native forest community in New South Wales. Austral Ecol 25:48–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roche S, Koch JM, Dixon KW (1997) Smoke enhanced seed germination for mine rehabilitation in the southwest of Western Australia. Rest Ecol 5:191–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sagar G, Mortimer A (1976) An approach to the study of the population dynamics of plants with special reference to weeds. Appl Biol 1:1–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Sindel BM, Groves RH (1990) Seed production potential and domestication of Kangaroo (Themeda triandra). In: Downing PM, Garden DL (eds) Native grass workshop proceedings. Australia Wool Corporation, Melbourne, pp 171–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyman HA (2003) Revegetation of bare patches in a semi-arid rangeland of South Africa: an evaluation of various techniques. J Arid Env 55:417–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyman HA (2004) Estimating the short-term impact of fire on rangeland productivity in a semi-arid climate of South Africa. J Arid Env 59:685–697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyman HA (2005) The effect of fire on the soil seed bank of a semi-arid grassland in South Africa. S Afr J Bot 71:53–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyman HA (2006) Short-term influence of fire in a semi-arid grassland on (6): the soil seed bank. Grassroots: Newsletter of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa 6(3)

  • Soil Classification Working Group (1991) Soil classification. A taxonomic system for South Africa. Department of Agricultural Development, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Ter Heerdt GNJ, Verweij GL, Bekker RM, Bakker JP (1996) An improved method for seed-bank analysis: seedling emergence after removing soil by sieving. Func Ecol 10:144–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thanos C, Georgidou K, Kadis C, Panfazi C (1992) Cistaceae: a plant family with hard seeds. Isr J Bot 41:251–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas P, Morris E, Auld T (2007) Response surfaces for the combined effects of heat shock and smoke on germination of 16 species forming soil seed banks in south-east Australia. Austral Ecol 32:605–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson K, Grime J (1979) Seasonal variation in the seed banks of herbaceous species in ten contrasting habitats. J Ecol 67:893–922

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson K, Grime J (1983) A comparative study of germination responses to diurnally-fluctuating temperatures. J Appl Ecol 20:141–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1988) Plant strategies and the dynamics and structure of plant communities. Princeton University Press, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Van De Venter H, Esterhuizen A (1988) The effect of factors associated with fire on seed germination of Erica sessiliflora and E. hebecalyx (Ericaceae). S Afr J Bot 54:301–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Staden J, Brown NAC, Jäger AK, Johnson TA (2000) Smoke as a germination cue. Plant Species Biol 15:167–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von Blanckenhagen B, Poschlod P (2005) Restoration of calcareous grasslands: the role of the soil seed bank and seed dispersal for recolonisation processes. Biotech Agr Soc Env 9:143–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Wills TJ, Read J (2002) Effects of heat and smoke on germination of soil-stored seed in a south-eastern Australian sand heathland. Austr J Bot 50:197–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zacharias PKJ, Tainton NM, Oberholster C (1988) The effect of fire on germination in five common veld grasses. J Grassland Soc S Afr 5:229–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is gratefully acknowledged for financial support. We are grateful to Dr. Christina Potgieter (John Bews Herbarium at UKZN) for her assistance in plant species identification.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa

    H. M. Ghebrehiwot, M. G. Kulkarni & J. Van Staden

  2. Grassland Science, School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa

    K. P. Kirkman

Authors
  1. H. M. Ghebrehiwot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. G. Kulkarni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. P. Kirkman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Van Staden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Van Staden.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ghebrehiwot, H.M., Kulkarni, M.G., Kirkman, K.P. et al. Smoke and heat: influence on seedling emergence from the germinable soil seed bank of mesic grassland in South Africa. Plant Growth Regul 66, 119–127 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-011-9635-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-011-9635-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation