Observations on the effects of fire on East African Afroalpine vegetation

An accidental fire that affected vegetation across an elevational gradient on the eastern slope of Mount Muhabura in Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) provided a unique opportunity to compare the richness, diversity, composition and elevational distribution of plant taxa across burned and unburned Afromontane habitats 1 and 9 years after the fire. Although richness and local alpha-diversity were comparable, community composition differed across burned and unburned habitats with the former having a lower cover of woody perennials and a higher cover of herbaceous annuals. We confirm the role of fire in shaping Afromontane vegetation, which is important information for protected area management.