Brazilian paramos. III. Patterns and rates of postfire regeneration in thecampos de altitude

Postfire vegetation development was studied at two recent mountaintop burns in the Serra do Caparao, Espirito Santo/Minas Gerais, and the Serra dos Or gaos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both fires occurred within the paramo-like "c ampos de altitude", a system of orographic grass- and scrublands restricted to the highest peaks of southeast Brazil. Data collected included pre- and postfire heights and densities of shrubs and trees, and cover of all taxa. Slopes of different aspect and altitude were sampled at each site to evalu ate the effects of varying physical environment on regeneration. Rapid vege tative regeneration was common among shrubs and bamboo, with most taxa surv iving fire. Regeneration and postfire colonization rates varied among speci es, and appeared to depend both on physical variables associated with diffe rent slopes, aspects and altitudes, and biotic variables. Most plant specie s in the campos de altitude show some form of evolutionary adaptation to fi re. The distribution or species and plant populations across the landscapes of the campos de altitude appears to be largely the result of fire and its interactions with the biota, local topography, and climate. Results sugges t that fire is an integral part of the ecology in these humid, seasonally d ry ecosystems. Successful management of these unique and highly threatened systems requires a detailed understanding of the fire regime and aits role in structuring biotic communities.