Lwando Royimani

1. Introduction Shrub encroachment by Euryops floribundus is progressively altering communal rangelands in the Eastern Cape [1] [2], resulting in decreased herbaceous productivity, reduced grazing capacity and resilience of rural farming systems [3]. This phenomenon emphasizes the essential role of fire as an ecological regulator, given its fundamental influence on plant community dynamics, nutrient cycling, and overall ecosystem functioning across multiple biomes [4].

1. Introduction Climate and topography are key drivers of plant phenology in terrestrial environments [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Their variability often influences the occurrence, rate, and duration of key phenological stages such as the autumn grassland ecosystem senescence. For instance, [6] noted a variation in the start of grass senescence in the low-lying Inner Mongolian grasslands than the higher Qinghai-Tibetian Plateau.