Table 2 Trends in species appearance or disappearance (expressed in terms of numbers of plots) from pre-fire (Rubin and Palmer 1996) to post-fire (2016) periods in a Nama-Karoo montane shrubby grassland, South Africa. Only species observed in both studies were considered. Species are categorized by growth form, and species that decreased from pre fire to post fire are shown in bold. Growth-form categorization follows Rubin et al. (2001) and nomenclature follows Raimondo et al. (2015).

G raminoids

Poaceae

Eragrostis chloromelas Steud.

3.33

3

10

7

Poaceae

Cymbopogon caesius (Hook. & Arn.) Stapf

3.00

3

9

6

Poaceae

Ehrharta calycina Sm.

3.00

1

3

2

Poaceae

Heteropogon contortus (L.) Roem. & Schult.

2.00

1

2

1

Poaceae

Themeda triandra Forssk.

1.75

8

14

6

Poaceae

Tenaxia disticha (Nees) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder

1.22

18

22

4

Cyperaceae

Cyperus marginatus Thunb.

1.00

1

1

0

Poaceae

Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees

0.75

8

6

−2

Poaceae

Cymbopogon pospischilii (K.Schum.) C.E.Hubb.

0.50

2

1

−1

Poaceae

Enneapogon desvauxii P.Beauv.

0.33

3

1

−2

Poaceae

Melica racemosa Thunb.

0.33

3

1

−2

H erbs

Sterculiaceae

Hermannia althaeifolia L.

15.00

1

15

14

Oxalidaceae

Oxalis commutata Sond.

15.00

1

15

14

Fabaceae

Lotononis tenella (E.Mey.) Eckl. & Zeyh.

12.00

1

12

11

Asteraceae

Senecio inaequidens DC.

12.00

1

12

11

Adiantaceae

Cheilanthus eckloniana (Kunze) Mett.

4.00

2

8

6

Asteraceae

Berkheya glabrata (Thunb.) Fourc.

3.50

2

7

5

Scrophulariaceae

Jamesbrittenia foliolosa (Benth.) Hilliard

3.00

2

6

4

Aspleniaceae

Asplenium cordatum (Thunb.) Sw.

1.00

1

1

0

Crassulaceae

Crassula dependens Bolus

1.00

1

1

0

Caryophyllaceae

Dianthus micropetalus Ser. var.

1.00

2

2

0

Dipsaceae

Scabiosa columbaria L.

1.00

1

1

0

Caryophyllaceae

Dianthus thunbergii S.S.Hooper

0.67

3

2

−1

Scrophulariaceae

Aptosimum procumbens (Lehm.) Steud.

0.50

4

2

−2

Selaginaceae

Selago saxatilis E.Mey.

0.38

8

3

−5

Asphodelaceae

Kniphofia uvaria (L.) Oken

0.33

3

1

−2

Scrophulariaceae

Nemesia fruticans (Thunb.) Benth.

0.33

3

1

−2

D warf shrubs

Polygalaceae

Polygala virgata Thunb.

7.00

1

7

6

Asteraceae

Felicia fascicularis DC.

6.00

2

12

10

Selaginaceae

Selago geniculata L.f.

5.50

2

11

9

Campanulaceae

Wahlenbergia nodosa (H.Buek) Lammers

3.67

3

11

8

Fabaceae

Melolobium microphyllum (L.f.) Eckl. & Zeyh.

3.67

3

11

8

Asteraceae

Felicia muricata (Thunb.) Nees

3.00

3

9

6

Fabaceae

Indigofera heterophylla Thunb.

3.00

2

6

4

Asteraceae

Helichrysum zeyheri Less.

3.00

1

3

2

Asteraceae

Helichrysum rugulosum Less.

2.33

3

7

4

Rubiaceae

Nenax microphylla (Sond.) T.M.Salter

1.00

2

2

0

Geraniaceae

Pelargonium alternans J.C.Wendl.

1.00

1

1

0

Lamiaceae

Stachys rugosa Aiton

0.70

10

7

−3

Fabaceae

Lessertia frutescens (L.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

0.50

2

1

−1

Asteraceae

Pteronia sordida N.E.Br.

0.33

3

1

−2

Asteraceae

Felicia hirsuta DC.

0.33

6

2

−4

Asteraceae

Chrysocoma ciliata L.

0.22

9

2

−7

L arge shrubs

Malvaceae

Anisodontea malvastroides (Baker f.) Bates

2.50

2

5

3

Asparagaceae

Asparagus capensis L.

1.50

2

3

1

Ebenaceae

Diospyros austro-africana De Winter

1.22

9

11

2

Thymelaeaceae

Passerina montana Thoday

1.20

10

12

2

Rhamnaceae

Rhamnus prinoides L’Hér.

1.00

2

2

0

Anacardiaceae

Searsia burchellii (Sond. ex Engl.) Moffett

1.00

1

1

0

Santalaceae

Thesium lineatum L.f.

1.00

1

1

0

Asteraceae

Euryops annae E.Phillips

0.86

7

6

−1

Rosaceae

Rubus ludwigii Eckl. & Zeyh.

0.50

2

1

−1

Asteraceae

Felicia filifolia (Vent.) Burtt Davy

0.50

2

1

−1

Asteraceae

Elytropappus rhinocerotis (L.f.) Less.

0.43

7

3

−4

Rosaceae

Cliffortia arborea Marloth

0.00

2

0

−2

Euphorbiaceae

Clutia marginata E.Mey. ex Sond.

0.00

2

0

−2

Melianthaceae

Melianthus comosus Vahl

0.00

3

0

−3

Solanaceae

Lycium cinereum Thunb.

0.00

5

0

−5