Tierberg Burn Experiment

Historically, fire rarely occurred in the Karoo, and it was thought that plant species would therefore not be well adapted to fire. However, with grass abundance increasing in some Karoo areas, risks of fire have been increasing. Experimental burning was conducted at Tierberg in 2006 by igniting straw in order to study changes in natural vegetation after fire in a usually fire-free environment. Recovery of burnt plots is periodically monitored by observing plant resprouters and reseeders.