FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Juniperus erythrocarpa | Redberry Juniper 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Redberry juniper occurs on juniper savannas, which are kept open by
fire.  Fires in these habitats tend to be surface fires carried by
grasses, which burn so rapidly that heat levels lethal to large redberry
juniper are rarely generated [7].  Fire-free intervals of 10 years or
more are usually sufficient to allow juniper (Juniperus spp.) saplings
to reach fire-resistant size:  about 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m) [22].  Redberry
juniper occurs in evergreen oak woodlands [11] which experience rapidly
burning grass fires approximately every 10 to 20 years [22].

In some areas, junipers (probably including redberry juniper) are
encroaching on grasslands that were historically kept clear of trees and
shrubs by very frequent fires.  Climatic changes and intensive livestock
grazing have also been implicated in this encroachment [7].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree without adventitious-bud root crown
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

Related categories for Species: Juniperus erythrocarpa | Redberry Juniper