HOW DO UNDERSTORY HOW DO UNDERSTORY PLANTS COME BACK PLANTS COME BACK
AFTER FIRE?AFTER FIRE?
BURIED TREASURES:BURIED TREASURES:PerennialsPerennials
• Underground buds or growing pointsUnderground buds or growing points– Dormant before fire Dormant before fire – Meristem tissues (i.e. stem cells)Meristem tissues (i.e. stem cells)
• Insulated from the heat of fireInsulated from the heat of fire
• Released from dormancy by the death of the Released from dormancy by the death of the buds on the aerial portions of the plantbuds on the aerial portions of the plant
DEPENDS ON WHERE DEPENDS ON WHERE THEY’RE GROWINGTHEY’RE GROWING
HOW DOES FIRE AFFECT HOW DOES FIRE AFFECT UNDERGROUND PLANT UNDERGROUND PLANT
STRUCTURES?STRUCTURES?
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
FOREST FLOOR LAYERSFOREST FLOOR LAYERS
• Root collarRoot collar• Root crownRoot crown• RhizomeRhizome• CaudexCaudex• BulbBulb• CormCorm
UNDERGROUNDUNDERGROUNDSTRUCTURES THAT STRUCTURES THAT
SUPPORT DORMANT BUDSSUPPORT DORMANT BUDS
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
ROOT COLLARROOT COLLAR
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
ROOT CROWNROOT CROWN
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
RHIZOMERHIZOME
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
CAUDEXCAUDEX
CAUDEXCAUDEX
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
BULB/CORMBULB/CORM
BULBBULB CORMCORM
Root Root collar collar
Root Root crowncrown RhizomeRhizome
CaudexCaudex
Bulb/ Bulb/ CormCorm
Litter & Duff
Mineral soil
Another treasure: BURIED SEEDAnother treasure: BURIED SEED
• Insulated from the heat of the fireInsulated from the heat of the fire
• Remain in the soil for decadesRemain in the soil for decades
• Are still able to germinate and growAre still able to germinate and grow
BURIED TREASURES: SeedsBURIED TREASURES: Seeds
Buried TreasuresBuried Treasures
• Fire adaptation of understory plants—if top-killed Fire adaptation of understory plants—if top-killed can still be alive below groundcan still be alive below ground
• Underground buds Underground buds – insulated from the heat of a fireinsulated from the heat of a fire– dormantdormant
• Located on underground structures that are species Located on underground structures that are species specificspecific
• Sprouting ability variableSprouting ability variable– depends upon bud location—litter/duff vs. depends upon bud location—litter/duff vs.
mineral soilmineral soil– depends on duration of fire and duff depends on duration of fire and duff
consumptionconsumption
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