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Abstract
Following a fire in a sphagnum-wirerush mossland (Sphagnum cristatum-Empodisma minus) in Te Anau Basin, permanent transects were established and recovery of the wetland monitored annually using visual estimation of plant cover. Within four and a half years of the fire, total plant cover had reached 90% or more throughout the wetland, having been reduced by the fire to as low as 7%. Wetter parts of the wetland were less severely burnt and recovered more quickly than drier parts. In the latter, herbs and grasses, including naturalised species, were important early colonists but mostly non-persistent. Rhizomatous species were important components of the cover throughout the wetland.
While the wetland had apparently almost recovered in terms of vegetation cover and species diversity by four and a half years, the vegetation composition differed from that prior to the fire, principally in terms of species dominance, and to some extent, species presence. It is suggested that, over time, the vegetation composition will slowly approach the pre-fire condition. Similar patterns have been observed after fire in other New Zealand wetlands and these are reported.
