FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Dichanthelium acuminatum | Woolly Panicum 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Woolly panicum culms and leaves are probably killed by fire.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Woolly panicum presence in response to fire varies with frequency and
severity of fire.  Woolly panicum occurs with greater frequency
following annual fires than following less frequent fires.  It has
lowest frequency where there are no fires [7,12,31,33].  However, if the
fire is severe enough to damage buds and roots, woolly panicum presence
declines [2].  Fire reduces woolly panicum flowering [2,18].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
Woolly panicum was subjected to annual or periodic surface fires in
upland oak forests in Franklin County, Tennessee.  Data were collected
each September from 1965 to 1970.  Burning on annual burn plots began in
1963; periodic burn plots were treated in 1964 and 1969.  All fires were
in late winter.  Woolly panicum occurred with greatest frequency on
annually burned plots, with intermediate frequency on periodically
burned plots, and with lowest frequency on unburned plots [7].

A 90-year-old red pine (Pinus resinosa) and white pine stand in Chalk
River, Ontario, was surveyed for vegetation in late August of 1969,
1970, 1971, and 1972.  Prior to burning, the site was dominated by
shrubs and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) saplings.  Fires were conducted
on June 15 of 1970 and 1971.  Total reduction in depth of the organic
layer was approximately 30 percent.  Fuel consumption of the forest
floor was confined to the litter layer; the duff was almost undisturbed.
Postfire cover was dominated by herbaceous species.  Woolly panicum was
absent from prefire permanent plots but occurred in the plots in
postfire years 1 to 4.  However, it did not become important in terms of
density or biomass during the time of the study [33].

Woolly panicum was a component of a pitcher plant (Sarracenia alata) bog
in Harrison County, Mississippi, that had been burned annually in winter
over the previous 7 years [12].

In southwestern Ohio, woolly panicum was a component of an 8-year-old
prairie which was established in 1979 and burned in 1983 [31].

In southern Illinois grassland, woolly panicum declined sharply, from
18,415 to 1,080 flowering culms per acre (45,486-2,668 culms/ha),
following fire.  Plots had been undisturbed from 1950 to 1969.  Plots
were sampled in August 1969.  Burning was conducted December 1, 1969.
The fire was moderate, resulting in nearly complete consumption of the
heavy litter accumulation from years of fire protection.  Postfire
sampling of burned and control plots was done from June through
September 1970.  Woolly panicum had the greatest decrease in frequency
following burning of any species sampled, probably because of damage to
its buds and roots.  Response of woolly panicum to the fire was [2]:

                          Frequencies (%)

                  Control                    Burn
               1969     1970            1969      1970  
               24.6     26.3            42.5       0.8

In Illinois, woolly panicum showed a 94 percent decrease in flowering
following a spring fire [18].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Dichanthelium acuminatum | Woolly Panicum