FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Gaylussacia frondosa | Dangleberry 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Dangleberry is fire tolerant.  Aboveground parts are destroyed by most
fires, but dormant buds on rhizomes usually survive and sprout [4,21].
Dangleberry occurs in habitats that regularly experience fire, including
oak scrub, oak-pine scrub, and longleaf pine-slash pine communities [4,31].

Low-severity fire encourages prolific vegetative growth of dangleberry
[22].  However, severe fire that burns the humus layer, where many of
the rhizomes are, can probably reduce or eliminate dangleberry from a
site [20].  Frequent fire may decrease dangleberry cover [4], probably
because of inadequate time between fires to replenish root resources.

Dangleberry regeneration after fire is probably independent of
aboveground, but not belowground, severity.  Areas that burn frequently
may have low levels of humus, so rhizomes must grow in the mineral soil
and are less vulnerable to fire.  For instance, dangleberry persists in
the New Jersey pine barrens which historically burned by severe crown
fire every 20 to 25 years [2,20].

In the Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, an oak-pine scrub
community with an understory of dangleberry, saw-palmetto, and Lyonia
spp. has natural 20- to 30-year fire intervals.  This community may
support fire as often as every 5 years [31].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Rhizomatous shrub, rhizome in soil

Related categories for Species: Gaylussacia frondosa | Dangleberry