Tree species evolved distinct reproductive adaptations to fire
Evidence
Most striking are the serotinous cones of jack pine (LeBarron and Eyre, 1939; Beaufait, 1969; Roe, 1963; Cayford, 1971), the semiserotinous cones of black spruce (LeBarron, 1939; Heinselman, 1957)) and the root suckering and light seeds of quaking aspen (Fowells, 1965). The fire resistance of mature, thick-barked red and white pines is well known, but specific studies are lacking. To reproduce, individuals of these species must survive the fire, because good seed crops are intermittent and their cones are neither persistent nor serotinous (Van Wagner, 1971). — Miron L. Heinselman, Fire in the Virgin Forests of the…, 44
Categorization
- DEFINE: Serotiny, root suckering, and thick bark are the fire-adaptation vocabulary this ecology course needs.
- XREF: connects to: Surface fires returned every 36 years on average in surviving pine stands. — Miron L. Heinselman, Fire in the Virgin Forests of the…, 163; Coring dominant fire-adapted trees dates stand origin after burns. — Miron L. Heinselman, Fire in the Virgin Forests of the…, 93; Fire in old forest leaves a distinctive two-age-class structure — Tom Wessels, Forest Forensics: A Field Guide to…, 127 (+3 more)
Broader Connections
- Bur oak’s thick corky bark evolved as armor against prairie fires
#exemplifies(0.95) — Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 111