FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Ceanothus leucodermis | Chaparral Whitethorn 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Chaparral whitethorn is largely dependent on fire for establishment.
Without fire, this relatively short-lived shrub typically disappears
within 40 to 70 years [31].  Historic fire frequencies in chaparral
whitethorn stands appear to be less than the time required for plant
senescence.  Many coastal sage communities in which chaparral whitethorn
is well-represented formerly burned at 20-year intervals [51].
Chaparral communities often dominated by this or other ceanothus species
burned at approximately 25- to 40-year intervals in southern California,
and at 30- to 60-year intervals in central California [11,28,51].

Chaparral whitethorn exhibits numerous specialized adaptations to fire.
Plants are capable of abundant seed production and, in many instances,
sprout prolifically after fire [6,13,17].  Large numbers of long-viable
seed accumulate in "banks" in soil, duff, or litter beneath parent
plants during fire-free intervals [9,23,32].  Many, if not most, of the
small seeds survive even hot fires, protected from lethal temperatures
by overlying soil [14].  Seeds stored in the soil can apparently survive
for decades until stimulated by heat to germinate in great numbers
[14,49].  Vegetative modes of postfire regeneration appear to be best
developed toward the southern part of this shrub's range [43].  Prolific
stump-sprouting is common, but sprouting of deeper seated rootcrowns and
lignotubers or burls has also been reported [6,17,20,25].

Chaparral whitethorn is highly flammable due to its growth form and
chemical composition, and occurs across vast contiguous acreages with
other flammable broadleaf sclerophylls [30,40].  These factors
contribute to the huge, fast-moving fires so typical of chaparral [30].
The lack of a widespread seed dispersal mechanism, the apparent
importance of seed banking, and its ability to resprout make chaparral
whitethorn particularly well-adapted to persist following these sorts of
large-scale fires [23].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

Related categories for Species: Ceanothus leucodermis | Chaparral Whitethorn