FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Fouquieria splendens | Ocotillo 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Ocotillo is at least top-killed by most fires but survival is related to
fire severity.  Ocotillo is considered moderately sensitive to fire
[73,74].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Ocotillo was severely reduced following a wildfire in June, 1963, near
Sasabe, Arizona.  The desert grassland vegetation consisted of ocotillo,
mesquite (Prosopis spp.), Mexican blue oak (Quercus oblongifolia),
Wheeler sotol, beargrass (Nolina microcarpa), velvetpod mimosa (Mimosa
dysocarpa), bullgrass (Muhlenbergia emersleyi), and grama.  Plants whose
crowns were charred or completely consumed were classed as severely
damaged.  Damage was moderate when only portions of a plant were burned.
Plants at the edge of the burn that were only scorched were classed as
lightly damaged.  By postfire year 2, the proportion of ocotillo plants
refoliating or sprouting after fire was 33 percent in the severe damage
class, 60 percent in the moderate damage class, and 50 percent in the
light damage class.  The differences were not tested for statistical
significance.  Sprouting after the fire was confined to the base for
moderately and severely burned ocotillo that survived, but some lightly
damaged plants also refoliated original branches [73,74].

No ocotillo sprouts or seedlings were observed within 3 years following
a June wildfire near Phoenix, Arizona, although ocotillo was present in
the prefire desert shrub community dominated by creostotebush, triangle
bursage, foothill paloverde, and acacia (Acacia spp.) [52].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Humphrey [26,27] suggested that the invasion of woody species (such as
ocotillo) into desert grasslands can be reversed or controlled by
burning at 5- to 10-year intervals.

Related categories for Species: Fouquieria splendens | Ocotillo