Do high soil temperatures on Namibian fairy circle discs explain the absence of vegetation?

ABSTRACT: Evenly-dispersed enigmatic bare discs known as 'fairy circles' occur within grasslands of the pro-Namib Desert. In spite of their conspicuous appearance, their nature and origin is still debated. The possible inhibitory effects of high surface and sub-surface soil temperatures on grass germination and seedling development on fairy circles have not yet been investigated. We measured maximum, mean daily (24 hour) and mean daytime (sunrise to sunset) temperatures of fairy circles and matrices in the NamibRand Nature Reserve (southwest Namibia). Optimum germination and growing temperatures, and thermal maxima of Stipagrostis ciliata, a grass commonly associated with fairy circle grasslands, were determined experimentally in growth trials. Seeds and seedlings were exposed to temperatures of 35

SUBMITTER: Vlieghe K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6527202 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature