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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Vaccinium myrtilloides | Velvetleaf Blueberry
 

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FIRE EFFECTS

SPECIES: Vaccinium myrtilloides | Velvetleaf Blueberry
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : Aboveground portions of velvetleaf blueberry are commonly killed by fire, but underground rhizomes generally survive wildfires or controlled burns [24,88,90]. Mortality typically increases with higher fire intensity and severity [56,78], although in the West, some rhizomes commonly survive even hot wildfires, as long as soil is sufficiently deep to offer some protection [90]. Some plants may survive even after lethal heat penetration to depths of 3.5 to 4.7 inches (9-12 cm) [23]. Rhizomes are typically most susceptible to heat damage during the period of active growth [78]. Seed: Seeds of most Vacciniums are of short viability and are readily killed by heat [55]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : NO-ENTRY PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : Vegetative response: Velvetleaf blueberry typically sprouts from underground rhizomes after aboveground portions of the plant are consumed by fire [29,90]. Sprouting from latent buds located on the stump or bole can occur where damage to the aboveground portions of the plant is only partial [11,28,90]. Response depends on a number of factors including season of burn, fire intensity and severity [24,78,90], and subsequent weather conditions. Seedling establishment: Seed banking does not appear to represent an important regenerative strategy in the velvetleaf blueberry. However, birds and mammals may transport some seed to burned sites. Season of burn: Response of velvetleaf blueberry is generally best after spring or fall burns [23,90]. Rapid regeneration or regrowth has been noted after spring fires in northeastern Minnesota and in red spruce-black spruce forests of eastern Canada [61,85]. Generally, poorest response occurs after plants are burned in summer during periods of most active growth [79]. Fires during dormant periods remove old shoot growth and provide additional nutrients which result in greater cover and enhanced productivity [78]. Good regrowth was noted after fall burns in eastern Canada which occurred after storage of photosynthate. Stored nutrients were presumably available for new growth in spring after the burn [25]. In eastern Canada, plants burned in mid-August exhibited reduced berry production by the end of the second growing season. Plants burned in late August showed no increase in berry production but did increase in cover [78]. Late October burns produced increases in both fruit production and cover whereas, burns conducted in late May reduced cover and did not increase berry production [78]. Fire intensity and severity: Light to moderate fires presumably remove decadent material and stimulate the growth of velvetleaf blueberry while increasing nutrient availability [79]. Plants are commonly observed on lightly burned plots in white spruce-paper birch-aspen communities [4] and elsewhere [78]. However, cover and fruit production may be greatly reduced after hot fires which result in greater heat penetration into the soil [55,78,79]. In a northern Ontario study, largest increases in cover and fruit production were noted after fires of 684 degrees F (362 degrees C) and 751 degrees F (417 degrees C) lasting 40 seconds per meter square [78]. Fruit production was much reduced after hot fires of 1,296 to 1,513 degrees F (702-823 degrees C) with a duration of 80 seconds per meter square [78]. Recovery may be slow after hot fires [61]. Ohmann and others [61] report that velvetleaf blueberry was more common in mature forests than in areas burned by a severe wildfire 33 years earlier. Soil: Soil characteristics may also influence the postfire response of velvetleaf blueberry. Reductions in cover and production may be more pronounced when the soil is dry [78]. The extent of lateral rhizome development may be greatest where organic soil layers are relatively thick [77]. Thus, the capacity to regenerate through rhizomes could be reduced where a thin mantle of organic soil prevents the development of an extensive rhizome network. Postfire recovery: Recovery of velvetleaf blueberry is generally rapid wherever portions of underground rhizomes survive [55,78]. This shrub regained prominence within 2 to 3 years after fire in jack pine communities of the East [83]. Relatively rapid increases in both cover and biomass have also been documented [62,63]. Rapid increases in biomass are often particularly dramatic during the first 2 years after fire [63]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : Season of burn: Response of velvetleaf blueberry is generally better after early spring or fall burns than after late spring or summer burns. Response by season of burn was documented as follows in forests of eastern Canada [25]: season of burn relative abundance (stem density for velvetleaf blueberry in plot/stem dens. for all species in plot) x 100 preburn 1 month 3 months 5 months late spring (early July) --- --- --- 17 % summer (July 20-22) --- --- --- 25 % fall (September 15-17) --- --- 37% 30 % Postfire recovery: Reestablishment of velvetleaf blueberry is often fairly rapid where surviving portions of the plant resprout. Postfire increases in cover and biomass were as follows in northeastern Minnesota [62,63]: year postfire percent cover (avg. of 7 sites) 1 0.6 2 0.2 3 1.1 4 0.7 5 1.1 postfire growing individual dry number of season weight (gms) individuals 1971 .16 140 1972 .75 29 1973 .70 64 1974 1.43 84 1975 1.60 151 In northern Minnesota, comparative values from burned and unburned three year old stands were as follows [76]: unburned burned stems/0.1 m sq. 2.3 2 flower buds/plant 6 8 stem length (cm) 22 24 FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Wildlife: Evidence suggests that fire suppression may be having an adverse impact on bear habitat in some areas [55,96]. Once-productive berry fields are being invaded by conifers. Since plants beneath a forest canopy generally produce few berries, fruit production has been steadily declining in many areas [57]. Berry fields can be treated with fire if maintenance or enhancement of berry crops is a prime management objective. Logging treatments which include severe soil scarification or slash burns may also reduce berry production. Even where timber harvest favors berry production, lack of cover in early years can limit bear use. Wildfires often create diverse habitat mosaics which incorporate elements of hiding cover and favor bear use [96]. Prescribed fire: Prescribed fire has long been used to increase yields in commercial low sweet blueberry fields of the East by naturally pruning decadent shoots [23,42,57]. Flower buds generally tend to be more numerous on new shoots and periodic removal of old shoots can increase fruit yield as well as enhance overall vigor [57,75]. Prescribed fire has also proven effective in increasing fruit yield for wildlife and recreationists in noncommercial forest stands of the Upper Midwest [7]. In northern Minnesota, fruit production of blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) was enhanced by the second growing season after fire [7]. In addition to increased numbers of berries, fruit size was noticeably larger than on adjacent unburned plots [7]. Spring burns, conducted when the soil is still moist, tend to be effective in promoting fruit production. In the Great Lakes Region, Kautz [42] recommends burning blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) stands with 4 to 5 years fuel accumulation during the early afternoon on warm, clear, sunny days with average wind speeds of 5 to 10 miles per hour (6-8 km/hour). Fast-moving fire fronts, which burn aboveground parts but leave underground regenerative structures intact, generally produce best results. Therefore, when increased blueberry fruit production is a primary management objective, head fires are preferable to backing fires. It may be necessary to add fuels when burning blueberry stands in the East. In the Great Lakes Region, areas to be burned should be rotated over a 4- to 5- year interval to maintain adequate berry production for recreationists and wildlife [42]. In the Great Lakes region, blueberry stands are typically burned at 4 to 5 year intervals rather than at the 1 to 2 year intervals common in the Northeast [76]. Many commercial stands made up of both low sweet blueberry and velvetleaf blueberry, have been burned at two year intervals [88]. While burning at this interval is beneficial to low sweet blueberry, velvetleaf blueberry generally decreases [30,88,90]. However, burning at three year intervals appears to benefit woodlots made up of both species [28]. Commercial berry fields are commonly burned in spring or fall [5,76,78]. Moderate burns conducted during dormant periods are generally most effective [78]. Flame throwers may be used [56] and hay or straw spread at the rate of 1 ton per acre. Damage to underground portions of the plant can be minimized by burning when the ground is still frozen [5]. Timber harvest: Thinning by pulpwood cutting commonly produces vigorous velvetleaf blueberry plants. However, clearcutting when followed by burning within one year often causes shrubs to decline. Clearcutting exposes small plants, often of poor vigor, to direct sunlight. Presumably, when already weakened shrubs are burned, mortality can occur. If plants are allowed to grow for several years after clearcutting and attain good vigor, most generally survive subsequent fires. Velvetleaf blueberry typically responds better if the tree canopy is opened gradually, or if narrow strips are cut allowing vigorous rhizome expansion from adjacent undisturbed areas. After timber harvest in the fall of 1949 and an April 1951 burn in New Brunswick, velvetleaf blueberry responded as follows [28]: 1949 1950 1951 1952 (plots sampled in June) # of stems 45 44 71 77 frequency 8 9 7 2 percent cover 1.6 0.2 0.5 0.1 Biomass production of velvetleaf blueberry one year after timber harvest and fire was as follows in northeastern Minnesota [63]: dry g/m sq. unlogged-unburned 0.12 logged-unburned 1.53 head fire-logged-burned -- back fire-logged-burned 0.09 Application of fertilizer and mulch: The effects of mulch and fertilizer application on burned velvetleaf blueberry stands has been examined in detail. Study results indicate that plants on burned sites respond more favorably if fertilizer applications are delayed for one year to allow plants additional time for regrowth [76].

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium myrtilloides | Velvetleaf Blueberry

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Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System

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