FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Juniperus pinchotii | Pinchot Juniper 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Pinchot juniper was historically restricted to "cedar brakes"--upland
areas of dissected limestone or gypsiferous soils that were protected
from fire and in which juniper species formed dense thickets.  The
estimated natural fire regime for the adjacent grasslands is 20 to 30
years [59].  Such frequent fires kill most young Pinchot juniper
seedlings and saplings, and, coupled with a slow rate of seed
germination in vigorous stands of grass, would be sufficient to restrict
Pinchot juniper establishment.  As a result of reduced vigor of grass
stands due to grazing and suppression of fire, Pinchot juniper is
encroaching onto adjacent grasslands [12,59].  The ability to sprout
after fire coupled with the reduction of understory vegetation makes
mature Pinchot juniper stands somewhat resistant to fire [48,59].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/root sucker
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

Related categories for Species: Juniperus pinchotii | Pinchot Juniper