FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Acer macrophyllum | Bigleaf Maple 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Most fires top-kill bigleaf maple [30,50].  Severe fires which transfer
heat below the mineral soil surface damage maple root crowns and thus
prevent some plants from sprouting [55].  Following prescribed burning
in the western Cascades of Oregon, bigleaf maple was nearly eliminated
on severly burned plots but remained abundant in lightly burned areas
[15].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Bigleaf maple survives fire by producing numerous root crown sprouts
[30,50].  Reported annual sprout growth varies from 3.2 to 6.5 feet (1-2
m) [50] and 9.8 to 13.1 feet (3-4 m) [30].  Sprout development following
top-kill of bigleaf maple trees by fire in northern California is
summarized below [50]:

time since      height of tallest    crown diameter      sprouts/clump
fire            sprout in clump      of sprout clump    
                    (feet)               (feet)
                 Ave      Range       Ave     Range      Ave      Range

Second year      9.8    6.8-13.1      11.5   6.8-15.5     78      14-143
Third year      12.8    7.5-17.1      14.7  10.4-21.5     37       8-67

In this study, the number of living sprouts was reduced drastically
between the second and third growing season as weak sprouts died and
growth was concentrated on fewer stems.  Parent tree diameter was found
to be related to the number of sprouts per tree, with large diameter
trees producing the greatest number of sprouts per tree.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Acer macrophyllum | Bigleaf Maple