FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Myrica cerifera | Southern Bayberry 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Fire easily top-kills southern bayberry shrubs [44].  Typically the
entire aerial portion of the stem dies [13], although extremely light
fires may only kill the most recent annual growth [21].  The root collar
survives and remains vigorous.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
Southern bayberry stems die quickly.  The stems and foliage of southern
bayberry contain large amounts of aromatic compounds that are quite
flammable [6], making it a potential fire hazard.  Presumably, severe
enough fires will kill southern bayberry rootstock, although no such
instances were reported in the literature.  The rootstock is apparently
quite hardy.


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Southern bayberry sprouts vigorously from surviving root collars
following fire [2].  The most vigorous growth occurs in the 1st postfire
year [1].  Stem density and frequency increase rapidly relative to
cover.  Cover increases less rapidly because the southern bayberry
clones are self-thinning [2,44].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
Fire periodicity probably determines the long-term fire response of
southern bayberry.  In loblolly stands in South Carolina, single or
occasional summer fires caused southern bayberry cover to increase.  By
contrast, annual summer fires reduced southern bayberry cover and
sprouting vigor, eventually eliminating it.  Lotti [27] documented 100
percent mortality after as few as three successive annual summer fires.

Fire response may be site dependant as well.  A single fire on an
eastern Texas slash pine stand caused a steady decline in southern
bayberry for 3 years [24].  On wet everglades sites (sawgrass, marl
prairie, mixed hardwood swamp), drainage coupled with frequent burning
favors southern bayberry invasion [18,40,47].  On drier savannas, fire
suppression favors southern bayberry invasion [5,6].  On eastern Texas
longleaf pine savannas, southern bayberry control required fires every 5
years [6].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Lotti [28] recommended four successive annual fires or three successive
biannual summer fires to achieve a cummulative southern bayberry
mortality of about 90 percent.

Winter fires are less effective than summer fires for southern bayberry
control and may be used when management goals call for southern bayberry
enhancement [28,44].  Winter fires can be used for control if done
frequently.  When southern bayberry invasion is undesireable, fires
should be annual for the first several years, then become less frequent
as southern bayberry cover decreases.  Such a prescription may be
combined with grazing for control and maintenance at a level where
southern bayberry provides livestock forage [26,45].

On nitrogen-poor sites, managers should be cautious about southern
bayberry control.  Annual fires greatly reduce southern bayberry
density, minimizing its nitrogen-fixing contribution [42].

Dry fuel weights can be predicted from basal stem diameters for southern
bayberry.  Refer to Reeves and Lenhart [39] for fuel load calculations.

Related categories for Species: Myrica cerifera | Southern Bayberry