FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Prunus americana | American Plum 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Presumably this native plum is somewhat resistant to fire due to its
tendency to spread through underground stems [34].  To a lesser degree,
postburn regeneration probably also involves the germination of off-site
seed dispersed by mammals.  Two other Prunus species indigenous to the
western United States, chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) and bittercherry
(Prunus emarginata), are well adapted to disturbance by fire
[1,31,36,37].  Although readily top-killed, these shrubs resprout
vigorously from surviving buds located on rhizomes and root crowns in
chokecherry [11] and from root crowns in bittercherry [18,23].  Postfire
recovery in both species is relatively rapid following burning [16,17,21].
Apparently buried seed banks can be a significant mode of postfire
regeneration for bittercherry and perhaps chokecherry on moist,
coniferous forest sites in northern Idaho [14,23].  The degree to which
seedbanks contribute to the postburn regeneration of these species in
more xeric habitats such as dry conifer forests and mountain brush
communities is presently unknown.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

Related categories for Species: Prunus americana | American Plum