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Ecology of plant resprouting: populations to community responses in fire-prone ecosystems

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Abstract

Resprouting has emerged as a key functional trait in plant ecology over the past decade with more than 400 papers published since 2000 (Web of Science). This special issue of Plant Ecology brings together a set of papers that advance our understanding of this functional trait, in the quest for developing a better conceptual framework for predicting community response to disturbance. This special issue highlights current research on all aspects of the effects of fire and other disturbances on plant resprouting behaviour and the importance of the persistence niche in structuring plant communities.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Neal Enright, Byron Lamont, Jeremy Midgley and Fernando Ojeda for constructive comments that helped improve this editorial. We thank the ARC-NZ Vegetation Function Network for funding support to Working Group 67 on plant resprouting (http://www.vegfunction.net/wg/67/67_Sprouting.htm) that made this special issue of Plant Ecology possible. We thank the participants of WG67 for providing a stimulating and collaborative environment and for their contribution to this special issue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia

    Michael J. Lawes

  2. Botany, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Tamworth, 2351, Australia

    Peter J. Clarke

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  1. Michael J. Lawes
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  2. Peter J. Clarke
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Correspondence to Michael J. Lawes.

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Lawes, M.J., Clarke, P.J. Ecology of plant resprouting: populations to community responses in fire-prone ecosystems. Plant Ecol 212, 1937–1943 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-011-9994-z

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