FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Arundinaria gigantea | Cane 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
The woody stems and leaves of cane are readily killed by fire [12].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Vigorous new stands of cane appear immediately following fire [12], and
herbage yield increases.  Cane is favored over associated shrubs because
of its rapid growth rate; on upland sites, it flowers in response to
burning [8,14,19].  The only adverse response has been susceptibility to
frost (A. g. ssp. tecta) the fall following burning [11].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
In South Carolina, herbage yields of cane (A. g. ssp. tecta) increased
in response to periodic summer and annual winter burning conducted over
a period of 20 years [14].

Following two fires, one in February and one in April, ungrazed cane
produced new stands by midsummer which were practically equal in height
to the preburn stands.  Growth of shrub sprouts was less rapid.  At the
end of the second season, cane still dominated, but shrubs were
appearing in the upper canopy [19].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Control of cane fires is difficult or impossible because of their speed
and intensity [11].  Periodic burning eliminates the fire hazard during
the first growing season and reduces it for 2 or 3 years.  Fuels in
canebrakes reach a peak of 5 to 7 tons/acre (11,200-15,600 kg/ha) after
only 3 to 4 years of fire protection.  A short burning cycle would,
therefore, be preferable from the standpoint of continued fire hazard
reduction [12].

Grazing also reduces the fire hazard in cane stands.  In the pocosins of
North Carolina, grazing reduced the total combustible material per acre
by 43 percent.  Three different fires were noticeably slowed down and/or
stopped once they entered the grazed area.  Although burning may be
beneficial in some respects, burned cane range is particularly
susceptible to grazing damage, and over-use of fresh burns must be
avoided to maintain grazing values [19].  Grazing should be withheld for
the first part of the growing season to assure full development of a
sufficient number of new stems to replenish the stand.  Thereafter, if
the major management objective is cattle grazing, prescribed fire should
be introduced at 10-year intervals [12].

Related categories for Species: Arundinaria gigantea | Cane