FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Prunus ilicifolia | Hollyleaf Cherry 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Limited information indicates that hollyleaf cherry is generally
resistant to fire mortality [18,48].  Although aerial portions are
readily top-killed, most plants survive fire [18].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Hollyleaf cherry is an obligate sprouter following fire [24, 44].  This
species reestablishes after fire primarily through vigorous sprouting
[22,25].  Hollyleaf cherry rarely establishes seedlings in the postburn
environment [23,43].

Vegetative regeneration:  Hollyleaf cherry sprouts vigorously following
fires which kill the aerial stems [15,47].  Sprouts are initiated from
surviving perennating buds located on the root crown [40].  Since root
crowns possess aggregations of dormant buds, newly sprouted individuals
occur as "sprout clumps" [40].  Hollyleaf cherry cover is initially
reduced following burning, but most plants rapidly regain preburn size
and biomass.  Following a wildfire on scrub oak chaparral sites in
southern California, hollyleaf cherry produced sprouts 4 to 5 feet (1.2
to 1.5 m) tall within 4 years [18].

Seedling regeneration:  Hollyleaf cherry seedlings are rarely observed
during the first postburn season [42].  Unlike many chaparral species,
seeds of this species are not well adapted to resist fire nor for
long-term survival in the soil [25,43].  Since hollyleaf cherry seeds
germinate readily without heat treatment, some postburn establishment
may occur through bird dispersal of off-site seed [24,43,49].
Generalized information on obligate sprouting species indicates that
resprouted plants begin to produce seed crops 1 to 2 years after fire
and that postburn fruit crops are often substantial [24].

Although uncommon, limited initial establishment of hollyleaf cherry
seedlings has been reported following burning of a 65-year-old stand of
scrub oak chaparral in southern California [18].  As a result of
postburn seedling establishment, the average number of hollyleaf cherry
individuals increased 330 percent within 4.5 years of burning [18].
Obligate resprouters such as hollyleaf cherry apparently establish a
flush of seedlings following periods of high rainfall [24,43,44].
Keeley [24] speculates that a series of years with above average
precipitation not only produces an abundant seed crop but also creates a
moisture regime favorable to successful seedling establishment.
Successful hollyleaf cherry seedling recruitment, however, is generally
restricted to mesic sites beneath mature chaparral where litter layers
are well developed [24,26,36].  Recruitment of new individuals is never
very abundant and occurs primarily between fires [20,36,43].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Burn frequency:  Hollyleaf cherry is a characteristic species of
relatively infrequently burned stands of chaparral [18,30,36].
Microsites necessary for population expansion are largely unavailable in
stands with short fire-free intervals [44].  Consequently, stand age at
the time of burning can have a significant impact on the abundance of
this species.  Following fire in a 65-year-old stand of scrub oak
chaparral, hollyleaf cherry comprised 18 percent of the postburn
vegetation, whereas it comprised only 2 percent of the postburn
vegetation in a 40-year-old stand [18].  Increases in abundance of
hollyleaf cherry are unlikely in stands where prescribed burns are
conducted frequently enough to decrease the potential for wildfire [44].

Since scrub oak chaparral lacks an herbaceous understory, fires do not
carry as readily as in chamise or coastal sage scrub communities [3,11].
Hollyleaf cherry is common in stands which are transitional between
chaparral and coastal sage scrub [16].  Stands of this type support an
herbaceous understory and have become increasingly prone to man-caused
fires [3].  Reduced intervals between fires may eventually cause a
decrease in abundance of hollyleaf cherry within these stands.

Wildlife management:  Burning initially increases the palatability of
hollyleaf cherry [1].  Deer utilization on some sites may be so heavy
that plants are weakened to the point where mortality ensues [1].

Related categories for Species: Prunus ilicifolia | Hollyleaf Cherry