FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Moderate-severity fire usually top-kills chaparral pea [18].  Plant
mortality due to such fire is low to intermediate [28].  The percentage
of complete kill varies by season.  Spring or early summer fire, when
carbohydrate reserves are depleted by rapid topgrowth, causes higher
mortality than does late summer or fall fire [18].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Data pertaining to postfire density, frequency, or growth rate of
chaparral pea sprouts were not found in the literature.  Sclerophyllous
shrubs, including chaparral pea, typically sprout within a few weeks
following fire [7].  Sprouts grow most rapidly after late summer or fall
fires.  Shrub canopy generally closes within 10 years postfire [18].

Postfire chaparral pea seedling recruitment appears to be scant.  Zedler
[27] initially stated that the species did not colonize burn areas.
Later, he found that postfire colonization occurred but was rare [28].
One study of postfire recovery of mixed chaparral, conducted in
southwest San Diego County, showed a density of 4.6 chaparral pea
seedlings per square yard (3.8 plants/sq m) at the first postfire
growing season.  Seedling mortality was 64 percent in the first year
[11].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Deer management:  Prescribed spring fire was used successfully in Lake
County to improve deer habitat.  Openings and "edge" were created in
formerly dense chaparral brush.  Browse quality was improved by the
sprouting of top-killed shrubs, including chaparral pea.  A year
following the fire, the ratio of fawns to does increased greatly, and
weight gain in bucks was improved, especially in young animals [3].

Related categories for Species: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea