FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Solidago missouriensis | Prairie Goldenrod 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Prairie goldenrod is probably top-killed by fire during the growing
season.  However, it has good survival from fire, especially on damper
sites and in the dormant state [44], due to persistent rhizomes and
caudex [14,19].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Many reports of burning in communities that contain prairie goldenrod
show that frequency, cover, or flowering are enhanced after burning.  On
some sites prairie goldenrod response is variable or negative (see
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE).  Prairie goldenrod is
listed as tolerant of fire in the tallgrass prairie of the Central Great
Plains, even though it sometimes declines following fire.  It is listed
as increasing in the Canadian Great Plains after both spring and fall
fires [49].

In remnant tallgrass prairie in central Missouri burned on a 4-year
rotation, prairie goldenrod was one of the most common elements in the
flora [34].

In trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) parkland of east-central
Alberta, prairie goldenrod was the forb which increased the most under
annual early spring burning.  Parts of the grassland had been burned
repeatedly in April for at least 24 years.  Frequency of prairie
goldenrod was 18 percent on unburned plots and 50 percent on burned
plots; canopy cover was 1.7 percent on unburned plots and 27 percent on
burned plots [3,4].

Prairie goldenrod in northern Wisconsin pine barrens showed a
statistically significant increase on burned compared to contiguous
unburned sites over all study areas [43].

Prairie goldenrod increased on rolling sands and choppy sands sites in
north-central Nebraska sand hills 2 to 3 months after an early May,
1965, wildfire [48].

In central Arizona prairie goldenrod percent frequency increased
slightly on burned sites following prescribed fires in 1970 and 1971
[31].

Prairie goldenrod showed stimulation of flowering on a nearly level
mesic site following prescribed fire May 2, 1972, in northwestern
Minnesota [32].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
Several studies report that fire had no effect or a negative effect on
prairie goldenrod.

On old fields and unplowed prairie in southeastern North Dakota, prairie
goldenrod occurred in small amounts; at no site was canopy coverage
greater than 1.50 percent.  On three old fields burned in late spring,
1973, prairie goldenrod occurred on control but not on burned sites by
August, 1973.  On two unplowed prairie sites, prairie goldenrod occurred
on burned and unburned plots, with no significant difference between
treatments [29].

A study of logged black spruce (Picea mariana) forests on lowland sites
in southeastern Manitoba harvested during the winter of 1964-65 and
burned in May, 1967, showed that prairie goldenrod invaded after
harvesting on both burned and unburned sites [10].

Response to burning on disturbed soils of the Konza Prairie was
variable.  Prairie goldenrod was present on frequently burned prairie
vole burrow systems and adjacent prairie.  It occurred on unburned
badger den sites but not on burned sites.  It occurred on burned pocket
gopher mounds, but not on unburned mounds [16].

Prairie goldenrod was listed as a decreaser in response to fire in
northeastern Wisconsin.  In 1959 and 1960, prairie goldenrod had an
average frequency of 31.2 percent in undisturbed bracken fern-grassland
sites; in sites subjected to prescribed fires average frequency was 19.7
percent [43].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 

Related categories for Species: Solidago missouriensis | Prairie Goldenrod