Heterogeneity decreases as time since fire increases in a South American grassland

Abstract

Disturbances change the fundamental properties of grasslands on different spatio-temporal scales. Uruguay is part of the Río de la Plata grasslands, and 60% is occupied by native grasslands dominated by perennial species. In plant communities dominated by tall tussock grasses, patchy and asynchronous field burns are a traditional practice among ranchers. We asked: how do the structural characteristics of vegetation vary in patches with different time since the last fire?