FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Cornus canadensis | Bunchberry 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Aboveground plant parts are killed by fire.  The underground rhizomes can
survive all but severe fires that remove the duff and heat the upper
soil for an extended period [22,23,59].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Postfire frequency of bunchberry is usually similar to prefire
frequency, with only a slight decrease or increase [83].  By 3 to 5
years after fire in Maine and in black spruce forests of southeastern
Labrador, the frequency of bunchberry decreased slightly, but rapid
growth led to a dramatic increase in cover and flower production
[28,87].  After logging in Alaskan western hemlock and Sitka spruce,
bunchberry had higher cover in burned plots than in unburned plots [44].

Bunchberry usually responds to fire by rhizome sprouting rather than by
seedling establishment from buried seed [63].  Following spring fire and
less severe summer fires bunchberry readily sprouts from rhizomes, but
it does not do as well after severe fires that remove organic horizons
down to mineral soil [1,67].  Bunchberry increased its cover by the
second postfire year after logging and prescribed burning in Minnesota
jack pine stands [2].  However, following a severe fire, bunchberry
cover will decrease sharply at first and then increase slowly.
Bunchberry may also disappear after severe fire [3].  The timing of the
fire is important.  Following light spring and summer prescribed burns
in New Brunswick mixed forests, density of bunchberry had increased over
prefire density within 3-4 months.  Recovery was slower following light
fall burns [24].

A survey of burns following logging in Nova Scotia gave the following
results for bunchberry [58]:

Age of Burn     Severity of Burn     Density     Cover     Frequency

 1 year         severe                1.5        -----      5.3
 2 years        light                27.0        -----     50.0
 6 years        light                 1.4        -----     20.0
 9 years        unknown               0.2        -----     12.0
10 years        unknown              -----       0.3        5.7
22 years        light                -----       0.55      50.0
29 years        light                -----       -----     ----
40 years        light                -----       1.0       76.0


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Cornus canadensis | Bunchberry