Does pyrodiversity lead to greater biodiversity in African Savannas?: Examining the impact of variance in fire return period

The strong influence of fire on vegetation structure and floristics in savannas make it an important tool for managers of preserved areas. Currently, Kruger National Park (KNP) uses a heterogeneous fire regime to promote biodiversity; however the effects of variance in fire return period on vegetation structural and compositional diversity have never been studied. This study recorded structural and floristic data at 16 sites within KNP in order to explore the relationship between variance in fire return period and structural and compositional vegetation diversity. We found variance in fire return period to have little influence over floristic and structural diversity. Average fire return period explained more differences in diversity, and we observed that a fire return period of around 6 years fostered the greatest structural and floristic diversity. These findings may be useful in informing future fire policy in KNP.