ABSTRACT
Tropical savannas are biomes with grass-dominated herbaceous cover interspersed with scanty trees in regions with alternating wet and dry conditions. The herbaceous cover in this biome shows seasonality and acts as a driver for fire invasion. Climate change impacts are increasing fire impacts by imposing hot, dry conditions (via drought, strong winds, and low relative humidity) which are increasing periods of fire occurrence and areas exposed to fire disturbance. This chapter highlights the nature and frequencies of fires, fire impacts on plant communities, soil, and microclimates, as well as strategies for adaptation tropical savannas flora to fire disturbance. Highlighted are various strategies adopted by plants in tropical savannas after fire events combine phenological alternatives and anatomical and physiological adaptations, which include the mechanisms for resisting drought imposed by the heat from the fire. The chapter concludes that climate change imposed conditions such as droughts and heat waves may induce modifications in plants and alter post-fire survival, growth, and regeneration potentials among plant populations, communities, and ecosystems while raising serious concerns for the diversity and conservation of flora in savannas.
