Effects of Fire Refugia on Co-Flowering Communities, Floral Abundance, and Flowering Phenology in an Old Growth Longleaf Pine Forest

Many ecosystems depend on fire to maintain appropriate habitats and to trigger important life history events, such as flowering or seed germination. Historically, fires were often patchy, but due to fire suppression and other human actions, burns have become more homogenous. However, heterogeneity in fire may be important for both plant reproduction and pollinators. We created small protected patches within prescribed fires in a longleaf pine savanna and then measured co-flowering community and floral abundance in both burned and protected plots. Co-flowering community and floral abundance were both significantly different between treatments, with significantly more flowers blooming in burned plots. Flowering phenology also showed marginally non-significant differences between treatments, with phenological events occurring slightly later in burned plots. Fire appears to be important for stimulating flowering and increases the amount of floral resources available to pollinators. However, unburned patches might help extend the flowering season, and could provide other benefits for the animals that rely on floral and seed resources.