| Abstract |
Fires are inevitable in savanna ecosystems and play a major role in shaping vegetation structure. Generally, an increasing fire frequency favours the grass component, while the woody plants remain in the fire trap. Conversely, a reduction in fire frequency is believed to be one of the contributing factors for bush encroachment and decreased perennial grasses. Thus, fire cannot be disregarded when considering the management of rangelands for both domestic livestock and wildlife. A disturbance that is rarely studied and may be important to understand is frost occurrence in savannas. In the study area it occurs frequently, particularly in low lying areas (interdunes) during winter when temperatures reach freezing point. Since there is very little information on how frost affects vegetation dynamics in southern African savannas, results from this study may provide some insight. The study was conducted at the Waterberg Plateau Park, a semi arid savanna woodland considered the south western limit of the “Tree savanna and Woodland” zone. The park experiences a range of fire frequencies, from both natural and anthropogenic causes, and its fire history is relatively well known. The study broadens our knowledge and fills a gap especially in Namibian savanna woodlands at the arid end of the scale. The main aim of the study was to understand how fire history and frost occurrence affect vegetation structure and species composition. |
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