• FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS
• POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:

Shrub live oak is well adapted to survive fire. This oak typically resprouts vigorously from the root crown and rhizomes in response to fire or other types of disturbance [16,63,79,100,104,105]. Postfire establishment by seed also occurs. In central Arizona, seedlings generally emerge in summer after the onset of summer rain [65].

Fire regimes: In Arizona chaparral dominated by shrub live oak, fire return intervals have been estimated at 74 to 100 years. At least 20 years may be required before these sites can reburn [8]. Childers and Piirto [10] note that fire is a natural part of the ecosystem in southern California communities in which shrub live oak occurs.

Minnich and Chou [52] report the following average fire rotations in communities in which shrub live oak occurs:

southern California mixed chaparral - 59 years
northern Mexico mixed chaparral - 59 years
desert chaparral/pinyon-juniper woodland - 219 years

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:

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

Related categories for SPECIES: Quercus turbinella | Shrub Live Oak