• FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS
• POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:

Redstem ceanothus is primarily dependent on fire for regeneration [1,74,83,86,112]. Without periodic fires, this "obligate pioneer" declines markedly in both vigor and density. It is one of the 1st brushfield shrubs to decline as shade levels increase [61,65,80,86,89]. Redstem ceanothus remains vigorous when burned at 10- to 15-year intervals [65,72]. This shrub may be best adapted to summer wildfires that provide heat scarification followed by cold, moist stratification over winter [63].

Redstem ceanothus exhibits numerous specialized adaptations to fire. Seed banking is particularly important [54,63,77]. Seeds are heat-resistant and germinate in large numbers only after severe fires create favorable growing conditions. Mineral soil provides an excellent seedbed for initial development and growth [77]. Stickney [100,102,103] identified redstem ceanothus as characteristic example of residual colonizer species that rely on fire for improving the seedbed and heat activation of ground-stored seed. He noted that if temperatures generated during burning are insufficient to heat-treat this type of seed, as in the case of fires that burn only the upper portion of duff, seeds will remain dormant [103].

Redstem ceanothus also sprouts from the root crown after aboveground growth is consumed by fire and may regain abundant canopy cover where mature plants were present prior to fire [61,62,68,82,100,109].

Fire regimes for plant communities in which redstem ceanothus occurs are summarized below. For further information regarding fire regimes and fire ecology of communities where this species is found, see the Fire Ecology and Adaptations section of the FEIS species summary for the plant community or ecosystem dominants.

Community or Ecosystem	Scientific Name of Dominant Species	Mean Fire Return Interval
Pacific ponderosa pine*	Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa	1-47 years
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir*	Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca	40-140 years [13]
coastal Douglas-fir*	P. menziesii var. menziesii	95-242 [79,94]

*fire return intervals vary widely; trends in variation are noted in the FEIS species summary

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:

Small shrub, adventitious bud/root crown
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

Related categories for SPECIES: Ceanothus sanguineus | Redstem Ceanothus