FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Equisetum sylvaticum | Wood Horsetail 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Wood horsetail survives repeated fires by means of deeply buried
rhizomes that are apparently almost indestructible [1].  The extensive
rhizome system penetrates well into mineral soil or clay, allowing
revegetation even after severe fire [1,12,45].  Wood horsetail may be
the most abundant herb species after fires in black spruce stands in
Alaska.  It sprouts after fire in any stage of succession [45].

Wood horsetail also colonizes recently burned areas by wind-dispersed
spores [23].  Its phenotypic plasticity enables it to survive the
environmental changes associated with postfire succession [1].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
   Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

Related categories for Species: Equisetum sylvaticum | Wood Horsetail