Effect of fire on woody species in central semi-arid Argentina

The objective of this work was to study the effects of different fire intensities and season of burning on five important woody species in the central semi-arid rangelands of Argentina. Overall results in this experiment indicate that a single fire reduces woody species abundance. This effect persists for several growing seasons after the fire and is related to fire intensity. Mortality rates, with the exception ofLarrea divaricata, were low and all the species produced new sprouts after the fire. This sprouting capacity may be the key to the abundance and persistence of woody species in these communities. A single fire does not start a replacement sequence and the plant community persists with some variation in the abundance of the principal woody species.