• CASE NAME
• REFERENCE
• SEASON/SEVERITY CLASSIFICATION
• STUDY LOCATION
• PREFIRE VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY
• PLANT SPECIES PHENOLOGICAL STATE
• SITE DESCRIPTION
• FIRE DESCRIPTION
• FIRE EFFECTS ON PLANT SPECIES
• FIRE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

CASE NAME:

Response of curlymesquite to burning in two desert ecosystems

REFERENCE:

Bock, J. H.; Bock, C. E. 1987 [5]

SEASON/SEVERITY CLASSIFICATION:

Two study sites were burned on May 25 and June 12, 1984.

STUDY LOCATION:

The study took place in southeastern Arizona at The National Audubon Society's Appleton-Whittell Research Sanctuary near Elgin, Santa Cruz County.

PREFIRE VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY:

The Lyle Canyon oak woodland site featured sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), plains lovegrass (Eragrostis intermedia), Texas bluestem (Schizacharium cirratum), Hall's panic grass (Panicum hallii), goldeneye (Viguiera spp.), Louisiana sagewort (Artemisia ludoviciana), bindweed (Convolvulus spp.), warty caltrop (Kallstremia parviflora), wait-a-minute bush (Mimosa biuncifera), velvet-pod mimosa (M. dysocarpa), yerba de pasmo (Baccharis pteronioides), Emory oak (Quercus emoryi), and Arizona white oak (Q. arizonica).

The Bald Hill grassland site featured plains lovegrass, wolftail (Lycurus phleoides), 3 species of threeawn (Aristida spp.), sprucetop grama (Bouteloua chondrosiodes), sideoats grama, spreading fleabane (Erigeron divergens), shrubby falsemallow (Malvastrum bicuspidatum), dwarf morningglory (Evolvulus spp.), spreading snakeherb (Dyschoriste decumbens), tansyleaf aster (Machaerathera tanacetifolius), wait-a-minute bush, velet-pod mimosa, and yerba de pasmo.

PLANT SPECIES PHENOLOGICAL STATE:

Curlymesquite was in the early phase of growth.

SITE DESCRIPTION:

The site is in the foothills on the west side of the Huachuca Mountains at 4,950 feet (1500 m) elevation. Temperatures range from a 29 degree Fahrenheit (-1.73 ^oC) January mean minimum to a June mean maximum of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.4 ^oC). Mean annual precipitation is 17 inches (430 mm), mostly falling in the summer monsoon between July and September.

FIRE DESCRIPTION:

The Madrean evergreen site at Lyle Canyon burned on May 25, 1984, between 10 a.m. and noon. Air temperature was 90 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit (32-33 ^oC). Relative humidity ranged from 16 to 18%, and winds were from 5 to 10 miles per hour (8-16 km/h). Fuel moistures were estimated between 5 to 6%.

The grassland site at Bald Hill burned on June 12, 1984, between 10 and 11:30 a.m. Air temperatures ranged from 84 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit (29-31 ^oC), with relative humidity from 13 to 16% and variable winds gusting from 5 to 22 miles per hour (8-35.2 km/h).

The Bald Hill grassland fires moved slowly, 3.3 to 13.2 feet/minute (1-4 m/minute), with flame lengths from 2.6 to 4.6 feet (0.8-1.4 m) in height. Heat releases were 160 to 540 kW/m.

FIRE EFFECTS ON PLANT SPECIES:

At the Lyle Canyon oak woodland site, abundance of curlymesquite was not significantly difference between the burned and unburned plots for the 1st growing season following the burn. In the 2nd growing season, abundance was significantly higher (P<0.05) on the burned site.

On the Bald Hill grassland site, all species of grasses declined during the 1st postfire season but recovered fully after 2 years.

FIRE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:

Curlymesquite is not damaged by fire. It may increase in abundance following a spring fire.

Related categories for SPECIES: Hilaria belangeri | Curlymesquite