FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Calocedrus decurrens | Incense-Cedar 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Incense-cedar seedlings and saplings are more readily killed by fire
than most of their associates.  Heat-kill is responsible for much of the
mortality.  In northern California, a study found nearly all individual
seedlings and saplings were killed by a low-severity fire [23].  These
results are consistent with those from Lava Beds National Monument,
where incense-cedar is considered a decreaser following fire [18].
Incense-cedar has unprotected buds and finely divided foliage that is
damaged by fire [24].

Mature incense-cedar's thick bark offers sufficient protection from
excessive heat.  Most studies find that only an occasional mature
incense-cedar will succumb to surface fire.  Moderate- to high-severity
surface fires that damage trunks, however, make the trees susceptibile
to dry rot infection [12,19,24].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
Crown damage:  Generally, incense-cedar does not replace foliage, buds,
or twigs killed by fire.  Thus, the amount of green foliage present in
scorched crowns following fire is reasonably close to the amount of
foiliage that will be present in the future [27].


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Enhanced incense-cedar seed germination occurs on the exposed mineral
soil seedbed created by low-severity fire  [19,24].



DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
In the central Sierra Nevada, spring is the most satisfactory season for
low-severity burning to thin stands of incense-cedar.  Insects, however,
may attack young trees weakened by the treatment [23].  Incense-cedar showed 
an 8 to 12 times greater chance of mortality by insect attack after fire than
before fire.  Heavy losses from insects will continue for about 2 years after
burning [24].

Related categories for Species: Calocedrus decurrens | Incense-Cedar