FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Oplopanax horridus | Devil's Club 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Devil's club is susceptible to fire-kill [18], but its susceptibility by
class of fire severity is unknown.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Postfire recovery of understory species, presumably including devil's
club, in forest/devil's club types of British Columbia is more rapid
than in other forest types.  Researchers credit this to the generally
lower fire intensity.  Devil's club frequency at widely scattered sites
in British Columbia that had burned less than 10 years prior to sampling
was from 61 to 80 percent [27].

Extrapolating from Alaback's [3] data (see Successional Status), devil's
club is probably absent from burn sites for decades following
stand-replacing fire.  Presumably, devil's club establishes on these
sites from animal-dispersed seed after the canopy has closed enough to
shade this light-sensitive species.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Overall fire potential is rated as low in western redcedar/devil's club
habitat types of western Montana [17].

Related categories for Species: Oplopanax horridus | Devil's Club