FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Quercus emoryi | Emory Oak 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Emory oak is adapted to recurrent fires [92].  It sprouts from the root
crown or stump and grows vigorously following fire [18,20,26,59,75,108].

Madrean evergreen forests and woodlands are usually bordered by desert
grassland below and coniferous forest above [8].  Historically, fires
probably occurred every 10 to 20 years in oak woodlands adjacent to
semidesert grasslands [5,125].  Mean fire return interval for pine
communities above oak woodlands has been estimated at every 7 years
[75].  Historical fires in oak-pine woodlands in the Chiricahua National
Monument in Arizona occurred every 1 to 38 years [110].  Burned
ponderosa pine snags in evergreen oak woodlands in Arizona suggest
localized severe fires [85].

Fire regimes have been estimated for different oak cover types.  Mexican
(Madrean) oak-pine woodland is probably a fire-tolerant, fire-maintained
community [109].

Emory oak is common at low elevations in open oak woodlands; fire
frequency is important in determining the structure of these communities
[8].

Interior chaparral is scattered throughout the oak-pine woodlands [110].
Emory oak replaces pringle manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei) in
interior chaparral stands that have not recently burned [91].  Emory oak
and Arizona white oak dominate many communities in Arizona that have not
burned since about 1910 [8].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
   Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

Related categories for Species: Quercus emoryi | Emory Oak