Do fires affects growth, seed production and germination of the globose cactus Gymnocalycium monvillei?

LORENZATI, MARINA A.; ALISCIONI, N.L.; BARROSO, F. LIHUÉN; GURVICH D.E.

JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2022 vol. 197 p. 104663 - 104663

0140-1963

The habitats of many cactus species are being subjected to increasing fire frequencies. Globose cacti have a high survival to fire; however, little is known about other characteristics, such as their post-fire growth or reproductive responses. The objective of this work was to evaluate the short-term effects of fire on growth and reproductive characteristics of the globose cactus Gymnocalycium monvillei. The study was carried out in a population located in the Sierras Chicas de Córdoba, Argentina, which was partially affected by a fire in 2017. Sixty individuals were selected, 30 of them had been burned and 30 had not been burned (controls).Growth was measured; fruits were collected and seed mass and seed production per fruit were measured. In addition, germination experiments were performed to estimate final germination percentage and mean germination time. The results show that the studied species did not suffer post-fire effects on growth or the measured reproductive variables. Fire also had no effect on seed quality, since neither final germination percentage nor mean germination time showed significant differences between burned and unburned individuals. It can be concluded that Gymnocalycium monvillei is a fire-tolerant species. Although more studies are needed (i.e. regarding to fire intensity and frequency), globose cactus species seem particularly tolerant to fire group.