FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Opuntia humifusa | Eastern Prickly-Pear 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Moderate-severity fire kills Opuntia spp.  Some portions of stem may
survive light-severity fire [3].  


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Mortality of fire-weakened surviving cacti may be high the first 3
postfire years.  A closely related species, brownspine eastern prickly-pear (O.
phaecantha), experienced high die-off following light-severity fire in
Callahan County, Texas.  Initial fire mortality was 20 percent.  Insects
entered surviving plants through fire-scarred tissue, spreading
bacterial and fungal infections.  New sprouts appeared within a few
weeks following the fire, but many sprouting plants lost their vascular
connection to the root because of insect damage and decay.  By the end
of the third year, mortality exceeded 70 percent.  Most plants surviving
through postfire year 3 had sprouted from the caudex [5].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Frequent fire reduces populations of small Opuntia species like prickly
pear cactus [3].

Related categories for Species: Opuntia humifusa | Eastern Prickly-Pear