Vetchlings
Lathyrus spp.
Family: Fabaceae
Examples: L. montanus, L. pratensis
Fire effect on plant
Fire topkills vetchlings but their belowground rhizomes may survive (Mallik & Gimingham, 1983).
Key traits
Resprouting after fire takes place through the development of dormant buds, already present in the rhizomes (Mallik & Gimingham, 1983; Naydenova et al, 2022).
Soil-stored seeds may survive fire and germinate afterwards (Naydenova et al, 2022). Vetchlings lack a specialised seed dispersal mechanism so dispersal distances tend to be short. Seeds are hard coated and can survive in dry conditions for a long time (for up to 90 years for L. pratensis; Brunsberg, 1977). However, longevity in the field may be much shorter: a seed bank survey of NW Europe for the species L. pratensis largely showed seed was merely transient in soil (ie it germinated or survived less than one year), with a minority of studies suggested seed was longer-lived (Thompson et al, 1997).
Plant response to fire
Fire is thought to benefit vetchling species by reducing shading and maintaining the high light intensities that they require (Fryer 2021). Fire may increase the abundance of vetchlings (Naydenova et al, 2022).
Timing of life history
Perennial species. Seeds likely produced from second growing season. Flowering May to August.
Conservation status
None.
References
Brunsberg, K. 1977. Biosystematics of the Lathyrus pratensis complex. Opera Botanica 42: 1-78. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Fryer, Janet L. 2021. Lathyrus bijugatus, drypark pea. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/forb/latbij/all.html [Expert opinion; Grey literature]
Mallik, A.U. & Gimingham, G.H. 1983. Regeneration of heathland plants following burning. Vegetatio 53, 45-58 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Naydenova G., Radkova M. & Anelia Iantcheva A. 2022. Legumes in natural post-fire successions of forest meadows and pastures in Northern Bulgaria. Thaiszia - J. Bot., Košice, 32 (1): 067-079 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Thompson K, Bakker J P, Bekker R M. 1997. Soil seed banks of NW Europe: methodology,density and longevity. Cambridge University Press. 276 pp [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]