FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Rubus parviflorus | Thimbleberry 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Thimbleberry is resistant to and generally enhanced by fire [56,57,131].
In areas of rigorous fire suppression, thimbleberry fruit production and
plant vigor has declined [87].  This species is well-adapted to
vigorously invade many types of burned sites through rhizomes or seed
[53,100,136].  Rhizome sprouting is an important postfire strategy which
enables rapid reestablishment and spread [22,89,105,123].  Thimbleberry,
a seed banker [77,80,82], also reestablishes through viable seed stored
in the soil or duff [22].  Birds and mammals add to seedling
establishment by transporting seed to the site [22,74].

Thimbleberry typically becomes abundant within the first few years after
fire and remains prominent during the early postfire decades
[22,98,123].  Hamilton and Yearsley [57] note that thimbleberry "may be
well-adapted to the high nutrient availability and low competition from
other species found immediately after burning, but is less successful
once other species have reestablished."  This fire-adapted species
typically declines as the overstory develops in postfire communities.


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

Related categories for Species: Rubus parviflorus | Thimbleberry