Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Resprouting Ability of Six Atlantic Shrub Species

  • Published:
Folia Geobotanica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Resprouting from subterranean structures is a principal method of vegetative regeneration that many shrub species show after a disturbance. This study, therefore, aims to determine the resprouting capacity and intensity of six dominant species in an Atlantic shrubland area located in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula and compare their resprouting and germinating strategies. Resprouting intensity is measured using three variables: individual probability of resprouting, number of resprouts and length of these sprouts in three plant-age classes. The intensity for each species was calculated using a simple index (IRI) that included the three measured variables. All studied species, excepting Erica umbellata, could resprout. According to the IRI values, there are three groups of species: strong resprouters (Ulex europaeus, Ulex minor and Pterospartum tridentatum), weak resprouters (Ulex micranthus and Genista triacanthos) and non-resprouters (E. umbellata). The germination of strong resprouters is highly stimulated by fire. Frequent disturbances remove the non- and weak resprouter populations and promote the strong resprouter ones.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aedo C, Castroviejo S, Romero-Zarco C, Sáez L, Salgueiro FJ, Velayos M. (eds) (1999) Flora Ibérica VII(I). Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid

  • Bartolomé C, Álvarez J, Vaquero J, Costa M, Casermeiro MA, Giraldo J, Zamora J (2005) Los tipos de Hábitat de interés comunitario de España. Ministerio de Mesio Ambiente, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond WJ, Midgley JJ (2001) Ecology of sprouting in woody plants: the persistence niche. Trends Ecol Evol 16:45–51

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Botelho H, Vega JA, Fernández P, Rego F (1994) Prescribed fire behaviour and fire fuel consumption in Northern Portugal and Galiza maritime pine stands. In Viegas DX (ed) 2nd International conference on forest fire research. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, pp 343–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Casal M (1987) Post-fire dynamics of shrubland dominated by Papilonaceae plants. Ecol Medit 13:87–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Castroviejo S, Aedo C, Gómez-Campo C, Laínz M, Montserrat P, Morales R, Muñoz-Garmendia F, Nieto-Feliner G, Rico E, Talavera S, Villar L (eds) (1993) Flora Ibérica IV. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid

  • Cornide T, Díaz-Vizcaíno E, Casal M (1991) Relación entre estructura y ciclo de vida en retamares de Galicia. Stud Oecol 7:107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Drewa PB, Platt JM, Moser EB (2002) Fire effects on resprouting of shrublands in headwaters of southeastern longleaf pine savannas. Ecology 83:755–767

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernándes P, Rego F (1998) Equations for estimating fuel load in shrub communities dominated by Chamaespartium tridentatum and Erica umbellata. In Viegas DX (ed) 3rd International conference on forest fire research and 14th fire and forest meteorology conference. ADAI, Coimbra, pp 2553–2564

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández-Santos B, Gómez-Gutierrez JM, Moreiro-Clemente MS (1986) Intensa variabilidad interpoblacional en el piornal serrano (formaciones de Cytisus balansae (Boiss.) Ball.). Anales Edafol Agrobiol 45:531–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández-Santos B, Gómez-Gutierrez JM, Moreno-Marcos G (1999) Effects of disturbance caused by traditional Spanish rural land use on the regeneration of Cytisus multiflorus. Appl Veg Sci 2:239–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermida MJ (2003) Estudio del efecto del fuego sobre el banco de semillas edáfico y sobre la germinación de especies leñosas en brezales de interés para conservación en Galicia. Work of Career End. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo

    Google Scholar 

  • Ickes K, Dewalt SJ, Thomas SC (2003) Resprouting of woody saplings stem snap by wild pigs in a Malaysian rain forest. J Ecol 91:222–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James S (1984) Lignotubers and burls – their structure, function and ecological significance in Mediterranean ecosystems. Bot Rev 50:225–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keeley JE (1998) Coupling demography, physiology and evolution in chaparral shrubs. In Rundel PW, Montenegro G, Jaksic FM, Caldwell MM, Heldmaier G, Lange OL, Mooney HA, Sommer U, Schulze ED (eds) Landscape degradation and biodiversity in mediterranean-type ecosystems. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 257–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Klimešová J, Klimeš L (2007) Bud banks and their role in vegetative regeneration – A literature review and proposal for simple classification and asseeement. Perspect Pl Ecol, Evol Syst 8:115–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klimešová J, Sosnová M, Martínková J (2007) Life-history variation in the short-lived herb Rorippa palustris: effect of germination date and injury timing. Pl Ecol 189:237–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lloret F, Verdú M, Flores-Hernández F, Valiente-Banuet A (1999) Fire and resprouting in Mediterranean ecosystems: insights from an external biogeographical región, the Mexical shrubland. Amer J Bot 86:1655–1661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López F, Fungariño S, de las Heras P, Serrano J, Acosta F (2001) Age changes in the vegetative vs. reproductive allocation by module demographic strategies in a perennial plant. Pl Ecol 157:13–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malanson GP, Trabaud L (1988) Vigor of post-fire resprouting by Quercus coccifera L. J Ecol 76:351–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mesléard F, Lepart J (1989) Continuous basal sprouting from lignotuber: Arbutus unedo L. and Erica arborea L., as woody Mediterranean examples. Oecologia 80:127–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moure M, Reyes O, Casal M (2001) Relación entre el proceso de maduración y la respuesta germinativa al fuego de semillas de dos especies de Ulex. In Anonymous (ed) III Congreso Forestal Español 6. Junta de Andalucía, Granada, pp 463–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Palacio S, Maestro M, Monserrat-Martí G (2007) Relationship between shoot-rooting and root-sprouting habilitéis and the carbohydrate and nitrogen reserves of Mediterranean dwarf shrubs. Ann Bot (Oxford) 100:865–874

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pausas JG (1999) Mediterranean vegetation dynamics: modelling problems and functional types. Pl Ecol 140:27–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pausas JG (2001) Resprouting vs seeding – a Mediterranean perspective. Oikos 94:193–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pausas JG, Bradstock RA, Keith DA, Keeley JE, GCTE (2004) Plant functional traits in relation to fire in crown-fire ecosystems. Ecology 85:1085–1100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereiras J, Casal M (1994) Vegetation cover evolution in experimental plots after controlled burning. In Viegas DX (ed) 2nd International conference on forest fire research. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, pp 923–935

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereiras J, Puentes MA, Casal M (1987) Efecto de las altas temperaturas sobre la germinación de las semillas de tojo (Ulex europaeus L.). Stud Oecol 6:125–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Pesqueira XM, Muñoz A, Álvarez R, García-Duro J, Reyes O, Basanta M, Casal M (2005) Estudio ecológico del matorral atlántico de interés para conservación.Respuesta estructural a usos tradicionales en Galicia. Revista Real Acad Galega Ci 24:41–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Piotto B, Di Noi A (2001) Propagazione per seme di alberi e arbusti della flora mediterranea. Agenzia Nazionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente, AMPA, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Quevedo L, Rodrigo A, Espelta JM (2007) Post-fire resprouting ability of 15 non-dominant shrub and tree species in Mediterranean areas of NE Spain. Ann Forest Sci 64:883–890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quintana JR, Cruz A, Fernández-González F, Moreno JM (2004) Time of germination and establishment success alter FIRE of three obligate seeders ain a Mediterranean shrubland of central Spain. J Biogeogr 31:241–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes O, Casal M (2006) Reproductive behaviour alter FIRE of Atlantic shrubland and woodland species. Curr Trends Ecol 1:37–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Reyes O, Casal M. (2008) Regeneration models and plant regenerative types, related to the intensity of fire in Atlantic shrubland and woodland species. J Veg Sci 19:575–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes O, Rego FC (2000) Estudio de los efectos del fuego controlado sobre la capacidad germinativa de U. europaeus y U. micranthus. In Casal M (ed) I Congreso Ibérico de Ecología. Santiago de Compostela, p 30

  • Reyes O, Basanta M, Casal M, Díaz-Vizcaíno E (2000) Functionating and dynamics of woody plant ecosystems in Galicia (NW Spain). In Trabaud L (ed) Life and environment in the Mediterranean. WIT Press, Southampton, pp 1–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas M, Reyes O, Casal M (2003) Papel del fuego en la regeneración vía germinativa de Adenocarpus lainzii y Pterospartium tridentatum. In Anonymous (ed) VII Congreso Nacional de la Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre 6. CREAF-UAB-UB AEET, Barcelona, pp 475–481

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas M, Reyes O, Casal M (2006) Influence of heat and smoke treatments on the germination of six Leguminosae shrubby species. Int J Wildland Fire 15:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva JM (1998) La stratégie de l’utilisation du feu dans la lutte contra les incendies forestieres. Forêt Médit 10:194–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva JS, Rego F, Martins-Louçáo MA (2003) Root distribution of Mediterranean woody plants. Introducing a new empirical model. Pl Biosyst 137:63–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow AD (2001) More to resprouting than fire. Oikos 94:195–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud L (1987) Fire and survival traits of plants. In Trabaud L (ed) The role of fire in ecological systems. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, pp 65–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Valbuena L, Luis-Calabuig E, Tarrega R (2002) Relationship between thermal shock and germination in five Mediterranean shrubs. In Trabaud L, Prodon R (eds) Fire and biological processes. Backhuys, Leiden pp 93–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Vesk PA, Westoby M (2004) Sprouting ability across diverse disturbances and vegetation types worldwide. J Ecol 92:310–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vilà M, Terradas J (1998) Neighbour effects on Erica multiflora (Ericaceae) reproductive performance after clipping. Acta Oecol 19:139–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out under the Xunta de Galicia Research Project PIGDT07MRU006291PR. The authors are grateful to Sonia Ferreira, Olga Reyes and Angeles Ramos for their work during sampling and to Louis Trabaud and Margarita Basanta for the revision of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Área de Ecología, Dpto. De Biología Celular y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, 15701, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Otilia Reyes & Mercedes Casal

  2. Área de Ecología, Dpto de Biología Celular y Ecología, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27071, Lugo, Spain

    Otilia Reyes

  3. Centro de Ecología Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves, Instituto Superior de Agronomía, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal

    Francisco Castro Rego

Authors
  1. Otilia Reyes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mercedes Casal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Francisco Castro Rego
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Otilia Reyes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reyes, O., Casal, M. & Rego, F.C. Resprouting Ability of Six Atlantic Shrub Species. Folia Geobot 44, 19–29 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-009-9029-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-009-9029-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation