FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Quercus virginiana | Live Oak 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Live oak has thin bark and is readily top-killed by fire.  This species
has two primary means of surviving fire:  (1) Root crowns and roots
survive fire and sprout vigorously, and 92) live oak forests discourage
entry of fire from adjacent communities (see below) [10,33].

The large, spreading oak canopy encloses a humid microclimate.  The
leaves are concave and, as litter, hold moisture to the ground.  The
moist environment discourages fire entry and keeps fire temperatures low
[13].  In east Texas, live oak is considered fire tolerant as long as
humidities are above 45 percent [4].

There is generally a space between the understory and canopy which
prevents fire from crowning.  Saw palmetto will carry fire into a live
oak stand, but it burns close to the ground [10].  The dense live oak
canopy inhibits growth of understory vegetation (e.g. grass) and litter
is sparse [47,52].
 
Live oak litter burns at lower temperatures than the litter of turkey
oak (Quercus laevis), post oak, or longleaf pine [52,25].  During an
experimental fire, temperatures were measured from the base of live oaks
to the adjacent grassland.  The maximum temperatures on the litter
surface decreased from 412 degrees Fahrenheit (211 deg C) in the
grasslands to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 deg C), on average, at the base
of the live oaks [25].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   survivor species; on-site surviving root crown

Related categories for Species: Quercus virginiana | Live Oak