FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Ratibida columnifera | Upright Prairie Coneflower 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Upright prairie coneflower is probably top-killed by fire during the
growing season.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Upright prairie coneflower response to fire varies considerably,
depending to some extent on geographic area and season of burning.

Upright prairie coneflower was studied in tallgrass prairie of
northeastern Kansas, where it was abundant.  Plants from sites not
burned for 9 years or more were 2.6 times larger, produced 50 percent
more stems, and had more flowerheads and seeds than did plants from
recently burned sites.  Reproductive effort (the ratio of inflorescence
biomass to total vegetative biomass) was 33 percent lower in annually
burned prairie than in prairies with longer fire intervals.  However,
percent cover and frequency were not significantly different between
burned and unburned sites.  Variation in upright prairie coneflower
response to fire is probably due to changes in its competitive status
relative to the dominant perennial grasses and to changes in abiotic
conditions after fire [28].  Another study in northeastern Kansas
reported that upright prairie coneflower cover was not significantly
correlated with years since burning at postfire years 1 to 4 [58].

Upright prairie coneflower was less prevalent on north-central Nebraska
sand hills 2 to 3 months after an early May wildfire than on similar
unburned sites [56].

Changes in upright prairie coneflower flowering were not significant
after May prescribed fires in northwestern Minnesota [40].  A survey of
literature on plant response to fire indicates that upright prairie
coneflower decreased or showed no change in response to spring fires
[35].

Upright prairie coneflower in a south Texas chaparral-bristlegrass
(Setaria spp.) community had varying responses to fire.  Plots burned in
September produced 3 pounds of upright prairie coneflower herbage per
acre; plots burned the December of the next year produced 8 pounds per
acre; plots burned at both times produced 3 pounds per acre.  Unburned
plots produced 2 pounds per acre [6].  Percent cover of upright prairie
coneflower was 3 percent or less on all burned and unburned plots, some
of which were also mechanically treated by shredding, chopping, or
scalping [5].

Upright prairie coneflower in tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas
was burned on different schedules on matched plots.  Cover was less than
1 percent on all treatments, burned and unburned.  Frequency varied with
soil type, fire frequency, and season of burning [23].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Ratibida columnifera | Upright Prairie Coneflower