FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Cercocarpus montanus | True Mountain-Mahogany 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Fire generally top kills true mountain-mahogany [36].  Live crowns of
plants occurring in Arizona chaparral dominated by shrub live oak
(Quercus turbinella) and true mountain-mahogany were reduced by 88.5 to
99 percent during prescribed fires of various intensities.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
True mountain-mahogany sprouts vigorously after fire.  True
mountain-mahogany sprouted after severe fire in Bandelier National
Monument, New Mexico.  Prefire canopy cover consisted mainly of
ponderosa pine; tree foliage was either completely scorched or consumed
by the fire in the two stands where true mountain-mahogany occurred.
True mountain-mahogany density and height in postfire year 2 were as
follows [39]:

                        clumps/acre     sprouts/acre    average height
                                                             (cm)
Frijoles Rim stand          70               75               38
Burnt Mesa stand             5               20               83
  
The cover of true mountain-mahogany in Arizona chaparral before a
prescribed fire was 16.5 percent.  By postfire year 5, true
mountain-mahogany had recovered to 8.5 percent cover through sprouting.
Herbicide was applied to leaves of oaks in the stand in order to assure
fuel flammability.  Oak leaf moistures averaged 13 percent or less after
herbicide desiccation; untreated oak leaf moistures averaged 85 percent
or greater [36].

True mountain-mahogany seedlings may establish after fire, although
seedling establishment may be relatively low.  One year after a
prescribed fire in Arizona chaparral, seven true mountain-mahogany
seedlings per acre were observed [36].  Five seedlings per acre emerged
in postfire year 2.  No seedlings emerged in postfire years 3, 4, or 5.
Seedling mortality may be high.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
The response of true mountain-mahogany to fire may vary seasonally.
High- and low-severity fire treatments applied to true mountain-mahogany
during the dormant season in north-central Colorado were more effective
in increasing biomass production than those applied during the growing
season [57].  Current annual growth production of true mountain-mahogany,
expressed as a ratio to control plant production, for high- and
low-intensity fire treatments were as follows:

Fire                    Growing-season        Dormant-season
                        1971      1972        1971      1972

High-intensity          0.6       1.0         4.8       4.6
Low-intensity           1.0       1.7         6.5       9.1

Fire treatments were applied to plants individually with a
kerosene-burning flame gun.


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Fuel loadings for chaparral communities containing true
mountain-mahogany are described [35].

Related categories for Species: Cercocarpus montanus | True Mountain-Mahogany