Demographic implications of life-history stage characteristics in two African acacias at a Makeni savanna plot in Zambia

摘要

Aims In spite of the importance of African acacias in vegetation succession and provision of goods and services, little is known about life-history variations within and among species. Much of the work done on African acacias has focused on seed predation and germination and seedling establishment, especially of Acacia tortilis, Acacia nilotica and Acacia karroo. The primary aim of the present work is to investigate differences in the demography of Acacia polyacantha and Acacia sieberiana and the relationship between life-history characteristics and population size. A secondary objective is to assess how fire, an important ecological factor in savanna vegetation, might modify the growth and demographic dynamics of the two acacias.