FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Chilopsis linearis | Desert Willow 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Most fires probably top-kill desert willow.  In southern California, a
July wildfire in a chaparral-desert ecotone resulted in nearly all
desert willow plants being charred and defoliated, but less than 10
percent of the plants were killed [41].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Following top-kill by fire, desert willow survives by producing numerous
root crown sprouts.  Following a July wildfire in southern California,
more than 90 percent of desert willow plants survived [41].  These
residual plants started sprouting within 2 months after the fire.
Plants developed a multistemmed growth form and averaged 171 sprouts per
plant 10 months after this fire.  Sprout growth is summarized below
[41]:

                   Average #     Average length of   Ave. productivity
                 sprouts/plant   unbrowsed sprouts   per plant in grams
                                  (inches)   (cm)    (oven dry weight)

2 months after      
fire (Sept)           16             2.2      5.5            2

4 months after 
fire (Nov)            21            10.7     27.1           40

7 months after
fire (Feb)            48            18.7     47.6          132

10 months after
fire (June)          171            19.4     49.3          892
                 


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Chilopsis linearis | Desert Willow