FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Cercidium floridum | Blue Paloverde 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Blue paloverde is susceptible to fire; its photosynthetic stems are
probably easily killed by fire.  It may sprout from the root crown if
its postfire response is similar to its response to clipping.

The historical fire regime of the Sonoran Desert is mostly unknown [24].
Thomas [59] mentioned that fire free periods in the Sonoran Desert are
greater than 250 years.  However, Loftin [32] stated that fires were
relatively common in the Sonoran Desert under appropriate conditions,
especially during summer.  Fires that do occur are usually low-severity
due to small fuel loads [37].

Grazing and vegetation change have probably altered the fire regime from
historic patterns.  On the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern
Arizona, frequent fires were common until 1916 because dense stands of
grass were present.  Fires were frequent at the turn of the century in
desert grasslands that border the desert scrub communities where blue
paloverde occurs.  By the 1960's, fire frequencies had declined due to
grazing and fire suppression [24].  In south-central Arizona, understory
vegetation beneath paloverde species, ironwood, mesquite, and saguaro
associations changed from grasses to low shrubs due to grazing
pressures.  This has altered the fire regime, resulting in less frequent
fires [50].  However, where introduced annual grasses now predominate,
fire frequency may have increased.

The Sonoran savanna grasslands are subtropical, fire-climax communities.
Blue paloverde occurs infrequently in these communities at their
northern limits [10].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

Related categories for Species: Cercidium floridum | Blue Paloverde