• FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS
• POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:

Smooth sumac sprouts vigorously from underground rhizomes following fire [66,78,97]. Since rhizomes are buried at depths of 3 to 12 inches (7.6-30.5 cm) [89], overlying soil probably protects them from most fires.

Although vegetative reproduction is the primary mode of reestablishment after fire, smooth sumac may also reproduce through seed. Evidence suggests that some species of Rhus seedbank with seed stored in the humus layer. These seeds germinate when fire creates seedbed and open canopy [1,63].

Smooth sumac occurs in ecosystems and plant communities with varying fire regimes. The range of fire intervals reported for some species that dominate communities where smooth sumac occurs are listed below. To learn more about the fire regimes in these ecosystems and communities, refer to the FEIS summary for the dominant plant species, under "Fire Ecology Or Adaptations."

Community or Ecosystem	Scientific Name of Dominant Species	Fire Return Interval Range in Years
1. prairie	Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii	1-6 [18]
2. pitch pine	Pinus rigida	6-25 [55]
3. oak-hickory	Quercus-Carya spp.	50-100 [3]

 

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:

Tree with adventitious bud/root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
Tall shrub, adventitious bud/root crown
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Initial offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

Related categories for SPECIES: Rhus glabra | Smooth Sumac