FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Quercus arizonica | Arizona White Oak 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Arizona white oak sprouts from the root crown or stump following fire
[13,35].

Madrean evergreen forests and woodlands are usually bordered by desert
grassland below and coniferous forest above [4].  Historically, fires
probably occurred every 10 to 20 years in oak woodlands adjacent to
semidesert grasslands [2,83].  Mean fire return intervals for pine
communities above oak woodlands have been estimated at every 7 years
[49].  Historical fires in oak-pine woodlands in the Chiricahua National
Monument in Arizona occurred every 1 to 38 years [71].  In Arizona, low-
intensity surface fires occurred very frequently in a ponderosa
pine/Arizona white oak habitat type; fire scars formed in 67 of the
years between 1770 and 1870 [19,84].  Burned ponderosa pine snags in
evergreen oak woodlands in Arizona suggest localized severe fires [55].

Fire regimes have been estimated for different oak cover types.  Mexican
(Madrean) oak-pine woodland is probably a fire tolerant, fire-maintained
community.  

Arizona white oak is common at higher elevations than Emory oak in open
oak woodlands.  Fire frequency is important in determining the structure
of these communities.

Interior chaparral is scattered throughout the oak-pine woodlands [70].
Arizona white oak replaces pringle manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei)
in interior chaparral stands that have not recently burned [57].
Arizona white oak and Emory oak dominate many communities that have not
burned at least since 1910 [13].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
   Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

Related categories for Species: Quercus arizonica | Arizona White Oak