SEED BANK PATTERNS IN RESTIONACEAE AND EPACRIDACEAE AFTER WILDFIRE INKWONGAN IN SOUTHWESTERN AUSTRALIA

Post-fire seed germination, seedling mortality and seed banks were inv estigated in scrub-heath (kwongan) in SW Australia. Study species incl uded herbaceous and woody, obligate seeders and resprouters in two non -bradysporous but significant plant families (Restionaceae and Epacrid aceae). In all species, seedlings were recruited only in the first aut umn-spring after fire and occurred in similar densities as the estimat ed germinable annual seed input. Seedlings were absent from unburnt ve getation. Although most species retained some residual seeds after fir e, tests (excised embryo culture) indicated that a negligible number o f seeds were germinable. Regardless of fire response or species, there appeared to be a large loss of seeds each year and in most cases, onl y a small proportion of the annual seed production was used in post-fi re recovery of plants. Based on seedling:parent ratios, all species ha d the capacity to reconstitute parent densities from germinants in the first year after fire, but high seedling mortality and no further rec ruitment resulted in less seedlings than replacements for four resprou ter Restionaceae and three Epacridaceae (all obligate seeders) at the end of the third year after fire.