FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Rubus idaeus | Red Raspberry 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
The life cycle of red raspberry is integrally associated with
disturbances such as fire.  In many areas of vigorous fire suppression,
both plant vigor and abundance have decreased [66].  Red raspberry
typically flourishes, completes its life cycle and declines within the
early years after disturbance [73].  As shade levels increase in the
postfire community and soil nitrate levels drop (generally during the
first 5 years after fire), red raspberry shifts resource allocation from
vegetative growth to seed production [39,99].

Although the plants themselves soon senesce and die, viable seed
persists for decades [62,73], germinating in great numbers after the
next fire [100] creates favorable conditions for growth and
establishment.  Seed is effectively scarified by heat [78,94], and
exposed mineral soil serves as a favorable substrate for early growth
and development [26].  Underground regenerative structures appear to be
well protected from the damaging effects of heat [28,52], and
reestablishment is typically rapid where plants were present in the
preburn community.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
   Rhizomatous shrub, rhizome in soil
   Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

Related categories for Species: Rubus idaeus | Red Raspberry