摘要：Bud banks are the source of vegetative reproduction of plants. They are linked to regeneration strategies of plant communities in ecosystems prone to disturbances. 1 Bud bank research is fast moving up the research agenda as an approach to better understand the dynamics and resilience of ecosystems. 2 Regeneration from seed is only one of a myriad of strategies that plants use to survive and flourish in ecosystems with seasonal rainfall, above-ground consumers such as fire and herbivores, or recurrent droughts. Because the vegetation dynamics, structure and function of southern African grassy biomes are driven by these disturbances, one would expect interesting below-ground regeneration strategies. However, studies on below-ground traits are underrepresented in the scientific literature, with only a few contributions pertaining to ‘below-ground bud bank’ as the main topic. Furthermore, most of these studies have been conducted in the northern hemisphere, such as in China, central Europe and the USA. 3 Bud bank related research in the southern hemisphere is represented by one study from South American grasslands 4 and one from savannas in Botswana 3 . Recent papers on ‘underground trees of Africa’ 5 and the underground storage organs characteristic of ‘old-growth grasslands’ 6 have highlighted the importance of quantifying and describing below-ground regeneration strategies to understand the evolution of our ecosystems, and appropriate ways to manage and conserve them. The savanna and grassland biomes in southern Africa host a high richness of herbaceous plants, particularly forbs, which are often more abundant below ground than in the standing vegetation. 7 Below-ground bud banks comprise an important regeneration strategy for many savanna species, and yet very little is known about below-ground strategies for plant growth-form coexistence in grassy ecosystems.
