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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants |
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FIRE EFFECTS
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT:Mature Fremont cottonwood trees are top-killed by moderate fire [2,5,14,15]. The cambium layer is damaged by even low-severity surface fire [143,154]. In California, a severe wildland fire completely consumed the understory vegetation of a Fremont cottonwood community. Fremont cottonwoods that were top-killed by the fire were sprouting vigorously from the root crowns [15]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT:No entry PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:Most cottonwoods (Populus spp.) readily coppice following an injury such as fire; Fremont cottonwood sprouts primarily from the bole [34,70,145]. This ability presumably depends on fire severity. Fremont cottonwood also sprouts from roots [91], but there is no fire-related documentation of this regeneration method. Sprouting ability of cottonwood species is reported to decline after 25 years of age [62]. See "Plant Response to Fire" in the "Fire Effects" section of the FEIS summary of black cottonwood for further information on sprouting response of Fremont and other cottonwoods. Fremont cottonwood regenerates from off-site seeds if suitable site conditions exist during seed dispersal (see Botanical Characteristics, Regeneration Process). DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE:No entry FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:In the southwestern United States, many riparian areas have been invaded by saltcedar [53]. Saltcedar-dominated communities accumulate fuels more rapidly than Fremont cottonwood-dominated communities and consequently burn about every 10 to 20 years [122,154]. Native vegetation, including Fremont cottonwood, is often absent from these burned areas despite prefire presence. The native vegetation is usually replaced by the fire-adapted saltcedar [33,99,122]. For the remaining Fremont cottonwood woodlands to survive, saltcedar needs to be removed and replaced with natural vegetation. Once this is done, a more natural fire regime can be reestablished [99].
Related categories for SPECIES: Populus fremontii | Fremont Cottonwood |
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