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<br />Vegetative Recovery after Wildfire <br /> <br />'-', <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Page 5 of 9 <br /> <br />In a severe fire only live trees around the perimeter of a burned area may produce viable <br />seed. Wind dispersal of the seed is often limited to a few hundred feet from the seed- <br />bearing tree; birds and rodents also help distribute seed. <br /> <br />Even with a good seed crop, moisture conditions must be optimal for seed germination <br />and seedling survival. Fire effects on the forest floor will impact the success of seedling <br />establishment. Most conifers require bare niineral soil for successful germination. The <br />litter layer is often consumed in slow moving fires, which exposes the necessary mineral <br />soil. <br /> <br />Aspen <br /> <br />Aspen can form extensive pure stands <br />in Colorado, but ,are also present to a <br />greater or lesser degree in many other <br />forest types. As a result, the aspen <br />component in a conifer stand can <br />greatly increase after a fire. In addition, <br />while conifers successfully out-compete <br />aspen in a non-fire situation, after fires <br />occur, aspen may regenerate in a pure <br />stand. This is due to the extensive <br />suckering from roots when the main <br />trunk of the aspen is destroyed. <br /> <br /> <br />Regeneration of aspen after a fire can occur from <br />Thin aspen bark makes it susceptible to extensive root damage. <br /> <br />fire damage. Pure stands are often <br /> <br />missed or jumped in some fires due to the low flammability of aspen. Again, the diameter <br /> <br />of the trunk influences the trees resistance to fire. Diameters of six inches or more are <br /> <br />often quite resistant <br /> <br />Pinon-Juniper <br /> <br />Both pinon and juniper are very <br />susceptible to fire damage and are <br />easily top-killed, Both have thin, highly <br />flammable bark that provides little <br />insulation to the cambium. <br /> <br /> <br />Reestablishment of these trees is from <br />seed; rodents and birds often store large <br />amounts of seed, However, this can be <br />a very slow process. Typically, a <br />severely damaged stand will convert to <br />a shrub community with gradual Pinon pine destroyed by fire. <br />reintroduction of trees at 60 to 100 <br />years. <br /> <br />Lodgepole Pine <br /> <br />r;:; F'" 1:'4:1." 'JIQID <br /> <br />http://www.ext.colostate.eduIPUBS/NATRES/06307.htm] <br /> <br />8/13/02 <br />