Wetland plant communities of the Tsitsikamma Plateau in relation to fire history, plantation management and physical factors

The remnant palustrine wetland plant communities of the highly transformed Tsitsikamma Plateau are almost entirely located as linear features within commercial pine plantations. Being highly flammable fynbos wetlands, these features pose a serious hazard to plantations. Consequently, foresters require management guidelines that will reduce fire hazard to plantations but also maintain the biodiversity of wetlands. Here we report on the floristic community structure of wetlands located in plantations on the Tsitsikamma Plateau, and attempt to explain this structure in terms of geographic location, fire history and plantation management. We identified five palustrine wetland communities whose structure was primarily determined by location along a west–east gradient and fire history. Maintaining wetland plant biodiversity, especially populations of the rare Leucadendron conicum, will require a fire return interval in the order of 10 years; fire season is unlikely to have a significant effect. However, implementing this burning regime is likely to pose important challenges to the forestry sector. The forestry industry should internalise these risks and associated costs as a consequence of persisting with an industry not suited to a fire-prone environment.

► Five identified wetland vegetation communities on the Tsitsikamma Plateau.
► Community structure primarily determined by west–east gradient and fire history.
► To maintain plant diversity, wetlands should burn approximately every 10 years.
► Implementing required burning regime will pose challenge to forestry industry.