Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Vegetative Recovery after Wildfire <br /> <br />Trees <br /> <br />In Colorado the major forest types are <br />pinon pine-juniper; ponderosa pine- <br />Douglas-fir; lodgepole pine; spruce-fir; <br />and aspen. Fire is more frequent in <br />pinon-juniper, ponderosa and lodgepole <br />pine trees. These types of trees are <br />typically lower in elevation and dryer <br />than the spruce-fir forest types of the <br />subalpine zone. Aspen is Colorado's <br />major deciduous forest type. Response <br />to fire varies considerably among <br />coniferous and deciduous trees. <br />Colorado conifers are limited in their <br />response to fire. Unlike some deciduous <br />trees and shrubs, the root systems of <br />conifers do not regenerate new stems or <br />Ifsuckers." <br /> <br />Conifer Trunks <br /> <br /> <br />_bark <br /> <br />Figure 1: Outer bark, inner bark, cambinm, <br />sapwood and heartwood of a tree. Cambium must <br />survive a fire for the tree to survive. <br /> <br />In order for a conifer (a cone-bearing tree) to survive, some of the roots, the cambium of <br />the main trunk, and buds must survive. The cambium is the sensitive layer of growing <br />cells that produces the vascular system which conducts water and nutrients through the <br />tree (Figure 1). The bark insulates the cambium from the damaging intensity of a fire; the <br />thicker the bark, the better the protection. Bark thickness varies with age and differs by <br />species. (Table 1.) <br /> <br />Table 1:....... cbaratleltl&a im.POI.... to eurvMng fire and overall species rw' 1 ""e to.... rating. <br /> <br /> ( . <br /> ~1 l~~ It 1/ <br />I ,1 ll,/:/ I" <br />I, J <br /> CONIfERS ~.._~---_._----"--"_._-_.__._- <br />Pinoo .... ..... None Low - low LaIge - <br />-.... ..... t;...-~ tfigh Thld< ........ L.ofl& I.oog <br />~.... ..... -- ........ V<oy ... lOW ........ SOon <br />Umber"" ..... -- ........ Thin lOW LaIge I.oog <br />............... None ....... - - lOW ........ I.oog <br />DougIa$-tIr ..... - High Thld< High ........ ........ <br />_fir ..... None V<oy ... Vlo'Y ... High -.. ........ <br />_Ilr ..... -.. ........ ........ High -.. ........ <br />.kriper ..... -- lOW_ _mlOW SmoII - <br />C<Ionodo .......... - None Low - High ......... -.. <br />e..,...". _ ..... None Low Thin High ......... -... <br /> <br />DeclOOOVS <br />Root CJ'OilNI'I., rhitomet Hon8 lOw Thin High SmaI <br />FkloI:-ClOIWl.lIUf'P1JPI'QiS Ma1un; lowIMed Medium MeOOm Large <br />Root crown None Low Thin High Smd <br />Root crown None low Thin High Sma. <br />FIhilome$ Mlilfure Low Tnin low SftNIII <br />S!lIuMl!i~iII~~ 'f04__~fX)IttI$.5tt.1t(1W1dldl!l;~.,. 'fim;tldflh.(dt;i)...~lItbtUsfbeiilht) <br />(Tabte 8dapted Irom Wii'Jtw:ld Fire'" E~ E1AJm; of FMI on F1mt. GlR RURS-GTR~ 21 <br /> <br />_00Il <br />- <br />..... <br />..... <br /> <br />BI.l'le <br /> <br />http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBSINATRES/06307.html <br /> <br />Page 2 of9 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />8113/02 <br />