FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Berberis nervosa | Dwarf Oregon-Grape 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Dwarf Oregon-grape is moderately damaged by light- to moderate-severity
fires [4].  Underground regenerative structures often survive even if
aboveground portions are consumed by fire [74,91].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 



PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Dwarf Oregon-grape often sprouts from underground rhizomes after
aboveground portions of the plant are killed [74,91].  However, response
varies with fire intensity, severity [33,58], and season.  Atzet and
Wheeler [4] noted sprouts after light-severity fires but did not observe
sprouting after moderate-severity fires.  Seedling establishment after
fire has not been documented [32] and may be insignificant.

Postfire recovery:  Postfire reestablishment and growth of dwarf
Oregon-grape is often rapid [74].  In western Washington, sprouts are
commonly observed soon after fire [53].  Under some circumstances cover
may equal or exceed that of prefire levels within several years [65].
Dwarf Oregon-grape cover 9 years after slash burning near Oakridge,
Oregon, surpassed that of adjacent unburned plots [83].

Dwarf Oregon-grape abundance may not peak until mid- to late seral
stages, particularly after hot fires [32].  Recovery can be slow after
moderate to hot fires that damage or kill portions of underground
rhizomes.  Few dwarf Oregon-grape were present by the third growing
season after a moderate fire in coastal British Columbia [58].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
Recovery of dwarf Oregon-grape after July, 1970 wildfires in North
Cascades National Park was as follows [65]:

                  1971              1972              1974
            freq.    cover       freq.  cover      freq.   cover        

site 1      44        --          40      .1        32        .6
site 2      82.6     1.6          82.6   2.3        82.6     3.4
site 3      90.3      .16         83.9   2.2        83.9     4.9.


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Timber harvest:  Dwarf Oregon-grape commonly exhibits dramatic
reductions soon after timber harvest and subsequent slash fires in
western hemlock-western redcedar-Douglas-fir forests of the Cascade
Ranges, but then often undergoes a dramatic recovery [32].  In some
areas, dwarf Oregon-grape cover has tripled during the first 5 years
after logging and slash fires [17].  However, initial recovery may be
fairly slow on some sites [91].  Posttreatment cover is presumably
related to a number of factors including fire intensity and severity,
season of fire, and site characteristics.  Dwarf Oregon-grape commonly
reaches greatest abundance during secondary succession [49].  Abundance
peaked at 30 to 40 years after clearcutting, broadcast burning, and
planting in western hemlock-Douglas-fir forests of the western Cascades
[79].  Posttreatment recovery was as follows [79]:

                      years since treatment
                        (percent cover)

  2     5     10     15     20     30     40     undisturbed old growth

1.88  5.04   4.22   9.48  6.98  22.18  20.97            11.52

Posttreatment response of dwarf Oregon-grape has been documented in a
number of other studies [7,16,17,27,79,91].

Fuels:  Many dwarf Oregon-grape communities are characterized by low to
medium fuel levels [4].

Prescribed fire:  Prescribed fire in Pacific rhododendron-dwarf
Oregon-grape communities can greatly increase herb and shrub production
[26].

Related categories for Species: Berberis nervosa | Dwarf Oregon-Grape