Full Citation: Baumgartner, Kenneth H.; Fulé, Peter Z. 2007. Survival and sprouting responses of Chihuahua pine after the Rodeo-Chediski fire on the Mogollon Rim, Arizona. Western North American Naturalist 67(1):51-56.
External Identifier(s): 10.3398/1527-0904(2007)67[51:SASROC]2.0.CO;2 Digital Object Identifier
Location: Mogollon Rim, Arizona, U.S.
Ecosystem types: Ponderosa Pine – Evergreen Oak community
Southwest FireCLIME Keywords: None
FRAMES Keywords: Abies concolor, age classes, Arctostaphylos pungens, Arizona, Ceanothus fendleri, coniferous forests, diameter classes, fire case histories, fire injuries (plants), fire intensity, fire management, fire resistant plants, fire size, forest management, Juniperus deppeana, Leiophyllum, mortality, pine, Pinus leiophylla, Pinus ponderosa, population density, post fire recovery, Quercus gambelii, shrubs, size classes, sprouting, trees, wildfires, Chihuahua pine, vegetative reproduction, fire resilience, fire resistance, regeneration, pine, Rodeo-Chediski fire

Survival and sprouting responses of Chihuahua pine after the Rodeo-Chediski fire on the Mogollon Rim, Arizona

Kenneth H. Baumgartner, Peter Z. Fulé


Summary - what did the authors do and why?

This article assessed the ability of Chihuahua pine (Pinus leiophylla) to survive fire or resprout after fire based on tree age and fire intensity.


Publication findings:

Chihuahua pine is one of the few pine species that can resprout from its base after a disturbance. In the Rodeo-Chediski fire, Chihuahua pine resprouted post-fire, but the ability to resprout was negatively influenced by increasing fire intensity. Smaller trees had greater mortality due to fire, however, of the survivors at any age class, these younger trees were more likely to resprout from their base. The authors suggest that repeated higher severity fires may advantage sprouting species such as the Chihuahua pine over non-sprouting species such as ponderosa pine.

Fire and Ecosystem Effects Linkages

Chihuahua pine is one of the few pine species that can resprout from its base after a disturbance. Smaller trees had greater mortality due to fire, however, of the survivors at any age class, these younger trees were more likely to resprout from their base.

Chihuahua pine is one of the few pine species that can resprout from its base after a disturbance. In the Rodeo-Chediski fire, Chihuahua pine resprouted post-fire, but the ability to resprout was negatively influenced by increasing fire intensity. Smaller trees had greater mortality due to fire, however, of the survivors at any age class, these younger trees were more likely to resprout from their base.

The authors suggest that repeated higher severity fires may advantage sprouting species such as the Chihuahua pine over non-sprouting species such as ponderosa pine.