AllRefer - Species: Bottlebrush Squirreltail | Elymus elymoides: FIRE ECOLOGY


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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Graminoid > SPECIES: Elymus elymoides | Bottlebrush Squirreltail

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Kuchler

Plants

FIRE ECOLOGY

SPECIES: Elymus elymoides | Bottlebrush Squirreltail

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:

Bottlebrush squirreltail's small size, coarse stems, and sparse leafy material aid in its tolerance of fire [31]. Postfire regeneration occurs from surviving root crowns and from on- and off-site seed sources [29]. Frequency of disturbance greatly influences postfire response of bottlebrush squirreltail. Undisturbed plants within a 6 to 9 year age class generally contain large amounts of dead material, increasing bottlebrush squirreltail's susceptibility to fire [210].

Koniak [120] found bottlebrush squirreltail to be a major component of postfire pinyon-juniper communities of the Great Basin at any time during succession. Greatest occurrence and coverage of bottlebrush squirreltail are generally achieved during mid-seral stages.

Successional stage	Occurrence (%)	Percent of areas achieving > 5% cover
Early (1 year old)	43	3
Early-mid (4-8 years old)	58	15
Mid (15-17 years old)	49	28
Late-mid (22-60 years old)	90	0
Late > 60 years old	44	0

Fire regimes for plant communities in which bottlebrush squirreltail occurs are summarized below. For further information regarding fire regimes and fire ecology of communities and ecosystems where bottlebrush squirreltail is found see "The Fire Ecology and Adaptations" section of the FEIS species summary for the plant community or ecosystem dominants listed below.

Community or Ecosystem	Dominant Species	Fire Return Interval Range (years)
silver fir-Douglas-fir	Abies amabilis-Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii	> 200
sagebrush steppe	Artemisia tridentata/Pseudoroegneria spicata	20-70 [33]
basin big sagebrush	A. t. var. tridentata	12-43 [170]
mountain big sagebrush	A. t. var. vaseyana	20-60 [7,37]
Wyoming big sagebrush	A. t. var. wyomingensis	10-70 (40)** [196,215]
saltbush-greasewood	Atriplex confertifolia-Sarcobatus vermiculatus	< 35 to < 100
desert grasslands	Bouteloua eriopoda and/or Pleuraphis mutica	5-100
plains grasslands	Bouteloua spp.	< 35
blue grama-needle-and-thread grass-western wheatgrass	B. g.-Hesperostipa comata-Pascopyrum smithii	< 35
blue grama-buffalo grass	B. g.-Buchloe dactyloides	< 35
grama-galleta steppe	B. g.-Pleuraphis jamesii	< 35 to < 100
blue grama-tobosa prairie	B. g.-P. mutica	< 35 to < 100
cheatgrass	Bromus tectorum	< 10
mountain-mahogany-Gambel oak scrub	Cercocarpus ledifolius-Quercus gambelii	< 35 to < 100
western juniper	Juniperus occidentalis	20-70
Rocky Mountain juniper	J. scopulorum	< 35
Sierra lodgepole pine*	Pinus contorta var. murrayana	35-200
Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine*	P. ponderosa var. scopulorum	2-10
Arizona pine	P. p. var. arizonica	2-10
galleta-threeawn shrubsteppe	Pleuraphis jamesii-Aristida purpurea	< 35 to < 100
mesquite-buffalo grass	Prosopis glandulosa-Buchloe dactyloides	< 35
Texas savanna	P. g. var. glandulosa	< 10 [33]
mountain grasslands	Pseudoroegneria spicata	3-40 (10)** [6]
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir*	Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca	25-100
interior live oak	Quercus wislizenii	< 35 [33]

*fire return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the species summary
**(mean)

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [182]:

Crown residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Secondary colonizer (on-site or off-site seed sources)

Related categories for SPECIES: Elymus elymoides | Bottlebrush Squirreltail


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Content on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. We accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities. Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System