Hakea gibbosa (Sm.) Cav. (Proteaceae) is a serotinous, obligate-seeding woody shrub restricted to heathland and heathy woodland communities on the coastal sandstone plateaus of the Sydney basin. There is limited data available for this genus (and species) as it is less well researched in comparison to others such as Banksia.
The aims of this study are to examine seedbank dynamics in H. gibbosa to:
- Quantify the relationship between seed bank accumulation and time since fire in populations across the range of the species.
- Quantify losses from the seedbank due to fruit abortion, spontaneous seed release and predation in relation to time since fire.
- Examine variability in rates of seedbank accumulation and decay in relation to environmental factors and plant neighbours.
H. gibbosa surveys have been conducted in multiple National Parks in the Sydney region, where the post-fire age of sites ranges from 2 to 20 years. The findings of this study will be used to advise fire management strategies in heath communities.
Project personnel
- Chantel Benbow
- David Keith
Publications: In preparation
