COEXISTENCE, DEMOGRAPHY AND DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF 2 COOCCURRING ECOLOGICALLY EQUIVALENT FYNBOS PROTEACEAE SPECIES

Leucospermum conocarpodendron (L.) Beuk. and Mimetes fimbriifolius Sal isb. ex J.Knight co-occur in the southern Cape Peninsula, where we stu died their distribution patterns, demography and fire responses. Leuco spermum conocarpodendron has relatively larger seedlings and is theref ore the likely competitive dominant. Adults and seedlings of both spec ies are widely spaced and interspecific competition is unlikely to cau se competitive exclusion. Differences between the two species in recru itment levels and fire-mortality are small. Thus their size-class dist ributions are very similar. They are restricted to shallow-soil rocky habitats, not only because of reduced fire intensity in these sites, b ut because these are habitats avoided by the faster growing more compe titive reseeding Proteaceae. Go-existence of these two species appears to mainly be due to fire keeping populations sparse, and ants keeping individuals fairly isolated.