Data from: Bud production, dormancy, and mortality patterns differ by growth form and photosynthetic pathway following high-energy fire

Understanding long-term perennial bud bank dynamics will lead to better prediction of graminoid survival and regrowth following high-energy grassland restoration fires and facilitate manager decision-making regarding restoration in woody encroached grasslands. Experimental research to assess long-term bud bank dynamics of two dominant perennial grasses with different growth forms and physiologies, Nassella leucotricha and Hilaria belangeri, in a Texas semi-arid savanna and determine the impact of fire energy on the recovery of their bud bank dynamics.

A total of 36 plots, each 10x10m, were demarcated and centered on a mature mesquite shrub within a relatively homogeneous pasture with a uniform management history. Plots were at least 1.8m apart to facilitate burning each plot as an individual unit. Fire treatments, consisting of low-energy, high-energy, and unburned control, were replicated 12 times and applied in a randomized design in late July 2018.

Tillers were harvested approximately every two weeks during the growing season and once a month during the dormant season. The buds associated with each tiller were counted and their activity classified as either active, dormant, or dead using the Tetrazolium and Evans Blue staining procedures.