FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Vaccinium myrtillus | Dwarf Bilberry 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Dwarf bilberry appears well adapted to a regime of fairly frequent
fires.  In parts of Britain and presumably elsewhere, it commonly
persists on sites burned at "periodic" intervals [7,62].  However, this
shrub also thrives under longer fire intervals.  In parts of the central
and southern Rocky Mountains, it assumes dominance later than the first
century after fire [16].  Relatively long fire intervals have also been
reported in dwarf bilberry forests of Sweden, where mean fire
frequencies are estimated at approximately 91 years [35].

Dwarf bilberry is generally capable of sprouting from an extended
network of underground rhizomes after aboveground vegetation is
destroyed by fire.  Regeneration through seed is reportedly poor on
burned, previously forested sites [35].  Although some researchers
consider dwarf bilberry to be a seedbanker [29,35], seedlings are
apparently rare [81].  Some seed may be carried to burned sites by birds
and mammals [35,81].


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

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium myrtillus | Dwarf Bilberry