Claim · model-written summary
Leaf production after fire reaches six times unburnt levels.
- Taxon
- Grasstrees
Xanthorrhoeat0 - Outcome
- Immediately following fire, leaf production from the intact apical meristem is up to six times greater than that at unburnt sitese0
Not reportedMaterialGeneCompoundOrgan / stageInteractorInteractor roleSecond interactorSecond interactor roleTreatmentComparatorSettingDirectionValueQualifier
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Immediately following fire, leaf production from the intact apical meristem is up to six times greater than that at unburnt sites”
t0“Grasstrees”
Title
Ecology and ecophysiology of grasstrees
Byron B. Lamont; Roy Wittkuhn; Dylan Korczynskyj Australian Journal of Botany 2004. doi:10.1071/bt03127
Other claims from this paper (17)
- Observation Xanthorrhoea has 28 species across heathland and sclerophyll forest.
- Observation X. preissii leaf production peaks in spring and summer but continues year round.
- Observation Summer rain may stimulate leaf production, whereas root growth is wet-season restricted.
- Observation Grasstrees rarely die in fire despite hot retained dead leaves.
- Observation X. preissii restores biomass within 40 weeks.
- Observation Leaves usually survive more than two years.
- Observation Post-fire growth flush corresponds with reduced caudex starch.
- Observation Minerals move from caudex to crown after spring fire but accumulate following autumn fire.
- Observation Senescing leaves withdraw at least 80% P; dead leaves leach more than 95% K and Na.
- Observation Fire volatilizes most stored N and S and returns minerals as ash.
- Observation X. preissii recovered after clipping while starch reserves fell 90%.
- Observation Exceptionally tall grasstrees can reach 250 years with a record of 450 years.
- Observation Fire frequency decreased and variability increased since 1750–1850.
- Observation Post-fire flowering is most likely in the first spring.
- Observation Flowering spikes reach up to 3 m and can produce 8000 seeds.
- Observation Light inhibits laboratory germination of fresh seeds.
- Observation Grasstrees are susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi, though recruitment can occur decades later.