FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Bearberry 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Bearberry is a sprouting species that is best suited to short fire
cycles with low fuel buildup and low fire intensities [65,76,114,122].
It possesses latent buds on the horizontal stems and dormant buds on the
stembase or root crown that allow sprouting of surviving plants or
rooted stems [22,23,39,85].  In northern Saskatchewan, it is a strong
sprouter from golfball-sized lignotubers located in mineral soil [114].
The crown of bearberry plants may lie just below the top of mineral
soil, but as duff increases it migrates into the duff layer and becomes
susceptible to fire [14,92,114].  Bearberry's main roots extend into
mineral soil, but it has been considered to be incapable of regeneration
from the roots if the crown is killed [81,92].  Since it can be
propagated from root cuttings [63], it might be capable of regeneration
from the roots under some circumstances.  Bearberry may be a
seedbanking species with fire resistant seed [81,114].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Prostrate woody plant, stem growing on organic mantle
   Small shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

Related categories for Species: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Bearberry