Diversity of functional trade‐offs enhances survival after fire in Neotropical savanna species

Questions What are the trade‐offs and/or associated syndromes within and between fire‐associated traits? Does bud protection relate to bark properties and tree resprouting ability? Which traits will influence post‐fire tree survival (mortality rate and top‐kill) and tree recovery (canopy recovery and resprouting volume)? Do species with different leaf phenology have the same ecological strategies to survive and recover from fire? Location Tree community in a Neotropical savanna. Methods For each of the 24 most abundant species, we characterised the trade‐offs among bud protection, bark traits, mortality, canopy recovery and top‐kill, and resprouting strategies in both a burned and adjacent unburned area of Cerrado vegetation. Results Species with unprotected buds had a higher risk of dying, while high bud protection was associated to the ability to resprout from both the canopy and the base of the tree. We found three major trade‐offs defined by bark traits and plant properties. Cerrado woody species invest in either (a) high inner bark thickness and bark moisture, or (b) fast growth rate, height and bark density, or (c) thick outer bark and high wood density with high bud protection. Conclusions Cerrado species show different sets of fire‐related traits that seem to be important for both individual survival and community assembly. Here, we report these trade‐offs for Neotropical savannas, and our findings also shed light on how changes in fire regime may favour different groups of species, leading to changes in plant communities over time.