Fire has a prominent influence on the Australian vegetation. Discuss how fire influences reproduction of plants in temperate Australian plant communities.. Ecology

• Fire has a powerful influence of community structure and composition
• In the temperate regions of Australia, fire-prone habitats are regularly hot and dry in summer but cold and wet in winter. Fire events tend to occur in late autumn and winter provides moisture for germination.
• Fire has a marked impact in most Australian habitats both directly and indirectly effects on reproductive success
• Many native Australian plants have adapted to need fire to reproduce. This is either achieved by burning off the adult to resprout the seedling or for as a germination cue in the seed bank.

Advantages to having fire as germination cue

• Post fire, seeds may come into contact with charred vegetative material and use it as a nutrient source
• Nutrients released by ashing
• Fire may kill off pathogens
• Light at ground level is more available
• Diurnal temperature ranges become more enhanced.