La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Reduced flower visitation by nectar-feeding birds in response to fire in Cape fynbos vegetation, South Africa
Auteurs :	Sjirk Geerts, Auteur ; Sarel D. T. Malherbe, Auteur ; Anton Pauw, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Journal of Ornithology (153(2) APR 2012)
Article en page(s) :	297-301
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	Nectar-feeding birds are important pollinators in fire-prone regions of the world, but the impact of fires on these bird communities has seldom been studied. Nectar-feeding bird communities were censused during peak flowering, before and after fire in the Cape fynbos of South Africa. The abundance and species richness of nectar-feeding birds decreased at all sites. In a controlled experiment, two common bird-pollinated plants, which flower profusely after a fire, were presented in floral arrays in burnt and unburnt vegetation. Birds visited flowers only in the unburnt areas. The results are surprising given the large number of bird-pollinated plants that have fire-stimulated flowering.

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