FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Vaccinium myrsinites | Ground Blueberry 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Fire commonly kills aboveground portions of ground blueberry [15].
Underground rhizomes [33] are generally protected from the damaging
effects of heat and apparently survive most fires.  Seeds of most
blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are of short viability and are readily
killed by heat [30].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Growth of ground blueberry is apparently stimulated by fire [36].
Canopy cover on recently burned sites often exceeds cover on unburned
plots [21].  Plants typically sprout vigorously from underground
rhizomes after aboveground vegetation is consumed [2].  Recovery of this
shrub is generally rapid and dramatic [1,39].

Ground blueberry often forms a nearly continuous shrub canopy within 2
years after fire [5].  Canopy cover was essentially unchanged soon after
fires in a northern Florida flatwood community [31].  This shrub, along
with saw palmetto and Galaticia elliottii, dominated the shrub layer
within 4 months after fire in Georgia pine-oak scrub [15].  Similarly,
density and dominance of ground blueberry reached peak levels within 6
months after a January prescribed burn in central Florida, although
plants did not attain maximum height or crown widths until the fifth
postfire growing season.  In central Florida, ground blueberry increased
after consecutive fires at three year intervals, suggesting a 3- to
4-year density response [2].

Seedling establishment:  Seed banking does not appear to represent an
important regenerative strategy in most blueberries (Vaccinium spp.).
However, birds and mammals can presumably transport some seed from
offsite.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Fruit production:  Fruit production of ground blueberry was higher in
older burned slash pine stands than in young open stands [23].  Berry
production peaked during the third growing season after fire [23].
Fruit production was documented as follows [23]:

                 standing crop (g/100 m sq) of fruit
                      years since fire
                 2            3          4 or >

site 1           4.7          39.0         --
site 2           4.0           8.0         --
  
Wildlife:  Optimal intervals for burning flatwoods to enhance fruit
production of ground blueberry for wildlife use is approximately 3 years
[23].  Burning flatwoods at these intervals also produces good deer
browse and contributes to understory maintenance [23].

Prescribed fire:  Flower buds tend to be more numerous on new shoots,
and periodic removal of old shoots can increase flower production in
Vacciniums [30].  Prescribed fire has long been used to rejuvenate
commercial low sweet blueberry (V. angustifolium) fields and to increase
overall fruit production [30].

Postharvest burning:  Cover, frequency, and biomass of ground blueberry
was as follows after clearcutting, site preparation, and broadcast
burning in a northern Florida slash pine flatwood community [10]:

                      pretreatment      1 yr. posttmt      2 yrs. posttmt 

cover (%)                  1.00              0.29               0.33
freq. (%)                 38                12                  8
foliage biomass (kg/ha)   38.1               9.7               24.7

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium myrsinites | Ground Blueberry