Fire frequency effects on cleistogamy expression and progeny performance in Cologania broussonetii

Increased fire frequency usually erodes microenvironmental conditions, causing a drastic limitation of edaphic resources. Thus, the production permanently closed-small flowers (cleistogamous, CL) should increase in sites with high as this implies less expensive reproductive assurance strategy. However, because open, insect-pollinated (chasmogamous, CH) have potential capacity to outcross via pollinators, CH progeny produced at any site outperform selfed CL progeny. We evaluate effect on relative CL/CH and fruits, their seed set, along several performance parameters Cologania broussonetii (Fabaceae), resprouting herb dimorphic cleistogamy native Chaco Serrano. Fire increased expression, reaching extreme levels sites. Seed set was similarly for both unburned condition, while burned few developed more seeds than flowers. similar between each across all conditions. Cleistogamy expression C. is maximized abiotically degraded frequently habitats, although successful potentially outcrossed may decreased floral size abundance, selecting autogamous reproduction, which restricts not only genetic plant populations but also resources offered pollinators. At community level, negative implications non-cleistogamous, outcrossing species surviving environments.