FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Scirpus robustus | Saltmarsh Bulrush 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Fire removes all aboveground vegetation of saltmarsh bulrush [11].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
Chabreck [2] reported that fall burning of Scirpus communities
benefitted this genus.  Fire in brackish coastal marshes can increase
minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium [13].
The absolute concentration of these and other minerals increased in
Scirpus shoots following a January/February burn in the coastal marshes
of Mississippi [8].  Because saltmarsh bulrush has much deeper rhizomes
than the dominant marshbay cordgrass, fire can be used to enhance
saltmarsh bulrush in areas where cordgrass is not desired [13].


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Saltmarsh bulrush can sprout as quickly as 1 week following fire [13].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
In Mississippi coastal marshes, prescribed fire effects on vegetation
were simulated by clipping all aboveground vegetation in areas where
soils were wet or where there was standing water [11].  This caused an
increase in net primary production of Spartina communities that included
saltmarsh bulrush.  However, saltmarsh bulrush itself did not show an
increase in abundance here as reported by others in similar communities
[2,13].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
In the South, saltmarsh bulrush can be burned during late winter to
enhance food for geese and muskrats [16].  However, ash could possibly
retard vegetative recovery of marshland plants [8].  Burning an entire
marsh community at one time is not recommended because different stages
of plant community development are needed for various animal life cycle
stages [11].  Perkins [30] recommended burning Scirpus marshes between
October and January to maintain constant annual growth.

Related categories for Species: Scirpus robustus | Saltmarsh Bulrush