AllRefer - Species: Alkali Sacaton | Sporobolus airoides: FIRE ECOLOGY


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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Graminoid > SPECIES: Sporobolus airoides | Alkali Sacaton

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FIRE ECOLOGY

SPECIES: Sporobolus airoides | Alkali Sacaton

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:

Records of fire occurrence in sacaton grasslands are rare. Wright and Bailey [93] associated the fire ecology of alkali sacaton with that of tobosa because the species occur together in southern desert floodplains and are similar in density, coarseness, and structure [93]. Humphrey [36] characterized the vegetation in tobosa floodplains as flammable and sometimes dense enough to carry a fire, but suggests that because of the relatively limited area and sparse surrounding vegetation, floodplain tobosa stands probably burned less frequently than adjoining grasslands and shrublands. Factors contributing to increased fire frequency in sacaton grasslands include a lower water table, less frequent flooding, and the expansion of mesquite and acacia [93].

Although not specific to alkali sacaton, Payson and others [56] provide a review of fire in shrublands and grasslands where this species is present. Among these are such widespread vegetation types [27,45] as Great Basin sagebrush, blackbrush, saltbush-greasewood, creosotebush, mesquite-acacia savanna, grama-tobosa shrubsteppe, pinyon-juniper, and Trans-Pecos and Texas savanna. These vegetation types are characterized by mixed or stand-replacing fire regimes, with varying fire return intervals.

Fire return intervals for some communities where alkali sacaton occurs are listed below. Please refer to FEIS summaries of the dominant species in these vegetation types for information about their fire ecology.

Community or Ecosystem	Dominant Species	Fire Return Interval Range (years)
sagebrush steppe	Artemisia tridentata/Pseudoroegneria spicata	20-70 [56]
basin big sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata var. tridentata	12-43 [66]
Wyoming big sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata var. wyomingensis	10-70 (40*) [87,94]
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	Bouteloua gracilis-Hesperostipa comata-Pascopyrum smithii	< 35
blue grama-buffalo grass	Bouteloua gracilis-Buchloe dactyloides	< 35
grama-galleta steppe	Bouteloua gracilis-Pleuraphis jamesii	< 35 to < 100
blue grama-tobosa prairie	Bouteloua gracilis-Pleuraphis mutica	< 35 to < 100
cheatgrass	Bromus tectorum	< 10
creosotebush	Larrea tridentata	< 35 to < 100
Ceniza shrub	Larrea tridentata-Leucophyllum frutescens-Prosopis glandulosa	< 35
wheatgrass plains grasslands	Pascopyrum smithii	< 35
pinyon-juniper	Pinus-Juniperus spp.	< 35 [56]

*mean

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [76]:

Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

Related categories for SPECIES: Sporobolus airoides | Alkali Sacaton


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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