Effects of long-term fixed fire regimes on African savanna vegetation biomass, vertical structure and tree stem density

Fire plays an integral role in shaping the vegetation structure of savanna ecosystems. However, effects of fire regime characteristics, such as frequency and season of burn, on savanna vegetation structure, biomass and tree abundance across landscape types are largely unknown.
We used high-resolution airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to investigate the long-term effects of fire manipulation on savanna vegetation in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We analysed the effects of fire exclusion and experimental burns every 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 years and during different seasons on aboveground biomass (AGB), tree stem densities and vegetation vertical height profiles across a rainfall gradient and on contrasting geologies.
Across savanna types, and especially in drier savannas, fire season was more influential for constraining AGB than was fire frequency. Plots experiencing fires during the late- and mid-dry season had 44.50% and 43.60%, respectively, lower AGB relative to unburnt..., The dataset consists of vegetation metrics (aboveground biomass, tree density, aboveground biomass change, vertical vegetation profiles) derived from drone-based LiDAR.,