FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Betula papyrifera | Paper Birch 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Adaptation to fire:  Paper birch is well adapted to fire, recovering
quickly by means of seedling establishment and vegetative regeneration
[1,39,67].  Seedling establishment is the most significant method of
postfire recovery.  Paper birch is a prolific producer of lightweight
seeds that are easily dispersed by wind and readily germinate on
fire-prepared seedbeds.  Young trees sprout from the root collar
following top-kill, but sprouting ability decreases after about 40 to 60
years of age [51].

Fire regime:  Throughout most of Alaska and Canada, paper birch is found
in boreal spruce and mixedwood forest types that burn at 50 to 150 year
intervals [17,29].  

Fire behavior: As a forest type, paper birch stands are one of the least
flammable.  The canopy often has a high moisture content and the
understory is lush [21].  Crown fires in coniferous stands often stop at
the boundary of large paper birch stands or become slow-moving ground
fires [21,64].  As a result of this fire behavior, some large paper
birch trees often survive fire in pure stands, and thus become seed
trees for postfire establishment [51].  During dry periods, paper birch
stands will burn readily.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
   off-site colonizer; seed carried by wind; postfire years 1 and 2

Related categories for Species: Betula papyrifera | Paper Birch