Ceanothus velutinus

Tobacco Ceanothus

Flickr photo '2014-04-21-13.27.21 ZS PMax Ceanothus velutinus-1-1' by: John Rusk.

Flickr photo '2014-04-21-11.22.44 ZS PMax Ceanothus velutinus-1' by: John Rusk.

Flickr photo '2014-04-21-11.06.27 ZS PMax Ceanothus velutinus-1' by: John Rusk.

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Species group: Plants

Data Sources

Classification

Kingdom:

Plantae

Phylum:

Anthophyta

Class:

Dicotyledoneae

Order:

Rhamnales

Family:

Rhamnaceae

Genus:

Ceanothus

Encyclopedia of Life

For more info, visit:

Source:
http://eol.org/pages/582511/details

Distribution
Morphology
Habitat
General Ecology
Cyclicity
Molecular Biology
Conservation Status

Distribution

More info for the terms: cover, presence

Snowbrush ceanothus occurs from British Columbia and Alberta south to
California, Utah, and Colorado [70,127,142,197,285] and as far east as
South Dakota [142,197,285]. The PLANTS
database provides a distributional map of snowbrush ceanothus. Distribution of snowbrush ceanothus may be influenced locally by frost
patterns and the presence of insulating snow cover during the winter [116,197].

Ceanothus velutinus var. hookeri grows on the west side of
the Cascade Range from northern California to British Columbia [129]. Ceanothus
velutinus var. velutinus is widespread and occurs form British Columbia through
California and Nevada east of the Cascades to South Dakota and Colorado
[63,129].

References:

127. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
63. Conard, Susan G.; Jaramillo, Annabelle E.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr.; Rose, Sharon, compilers. 1985. The role of the genus Ceanothus in western forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-182. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 72 p. [668]
70. Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Noel H.; Holmgren, Patricia K. 1997. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 3, Part A. Subclass Rosidae (except Fabales). New York: The New York Botanical Garden. 446 p. [28652]
116. Halpern, Charles B. 1988. Early successional pathways and the resistance and resilience of forest communities. Ecology. 69(6): 1703-1715. [6390]
129. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 730 p. [1168]
197. Mozingo, Hugh N. 1987. Shrubs of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 342 p. [1702]
285. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
142. Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. 1999. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. Available: North Carolina Botanical Garden. In cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [2001, January 16]. [36715]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [25]:

2 Cascade Mountains

4 Sierra Mountains

5 Columbia Plateau

6 Upper Basin and Range

8 Northern Rocky Mountains

9 Middle Rocky Mountains

10 Wyoming Basin

11 Southern Rocky Mountains

12 Colorado Plateau

15 Black Hills Uplift

References:

25. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Occurrence in North America

CACOIDMTNVORSDUTWAWY
ABBC

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Ceanothus velutinus Douglas:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

References:

Anonymous. 1986. List-Based Rec., Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S.D.A. Database of the U.S.D.A., Beltsville.
Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Fl. Great Plains i–vii, 1–1392. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence.

Source:

Missouri Botanical Garden

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA

National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Source:

NatureServe

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

Morphology

Description

More info for the terms: natural, shrub

Snowbrush ceanothus is a native [37,38] evergreen [70,72,127,129,197,284,285] shrub.
It generally grows 2 to 9 feet tall (0.5-2.7 m) [37,64,70,72,127,135,154,197,242,285],
though it may also reach heights of 12 to 13 feet (4 m) [77,240,271]. Plants are
freely
branching [70] or spreading [121,154,271,285] with several stems growing from the base
[64]. The growth form is ascending-erect [127,252], forming a dense, round-topped bush
[64,121,127,197,271,285]. Snowbrush ceanothus has a single large taproot and a
deep, spreading root system [240]. The roots extend to depths of 6 to 8
feet (2-2.5 m) and extend laterally past the crown of the plant [63,71]. Root nodules are
nitrogen fixing
[38,72,73,121,154,197] and are
formed by actinomycetes [38,73].

The leaves are alternate [70,285], 1 to 3 inches long
[37,70,127,129,197,284,285], and 0.5 to 2 inches (1.5-5
cm) wide [70,82]. The inflorescence of snowbrush ceanothus is less than
5 inches (12 cm) long [70,127], and branched with many flowers [70,154,197]. The
inflorescence is borne on axillary and terminal
peduncles [70]. Fruit is shallowly 3-lobed [37,70,109,127,197,285],
0.12 to 0.16 inch (3-4 mm) thick [70,127,285], 0.27 inch (6 mm) across [197], and
sticky [70,127]. Each lobe contains a single seed [197]. Seeds are about 0.1
inch (2.8 mm) long, 0.1 inch (2.3 mm) wide, and 0.08 inch (2.0 mm) thick [109].

Snowbrush ceanothus forms large, dense colonies [70,121,240]. Thickets
may be up to 33 feet (10 m) wide and are often dense and impenetrable [121,261]. In general, the number of snowbrush ceanothus plants in an
area decreases with age [303]. Though stands of snowbrush ceanothus
may begin to deteriorate after 15 years [175,303],
the natural life span of snowbrush ceanothus is greater than 25 years [94,175], and 50-year-old plants have been observed
[59,63].

References:

127. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
37. Borland, Jim. 1988. Ceanothus velutinus. American Nurseryman. 168(9): 154. [35445]
38. Bormann, Bernard T. 1988. A masterful scheme: Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Arboretum Bulletin. 51(2): 10-14. [6796]
59. Conard, S. G.; Radosevich, S. R. 1982. Growth responses of white fir to decreased shading and root competition by montane chaparral shrubs. Forest Science. 28(2): 309-320. [35046]
63. Conard, Susan G.; Jaramillo, Annabelle E.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr.; Rose, Sharon, compilers. 1985. The role of the genus Ceanothus in western forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-182. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 72 p. [668]
64. Countryman, Clive M. 1982. Physical characteristics of some northern California brush fuels. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-61. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 8 p. [4177]
70. Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Noel H.; Holmgren, Patricia K. 1997. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 3, Part A. Subclass Rosidae (except Fabales). New York: The New York Botanical Garden. 446 p. [28652]
71. Curtis, James D. 1952. Effect of pregermination treatments on the viability of Ceanothus seed. Ecology. 33(4): 577-578. [4124]
72. Cutright, Paul Russell. 1989. Lewis and Clark: pioneering naturalists. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, First Bison Book. 506 p. [20300]
73. Danielson, Robert M.; Visser, Suzanne. 1988. Revegetation of oil sands tailings: growth improvement of silver-berry and buffalo-berry by inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi and N2-fixing bacteria. Rep. No. RRTAC 88-3. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Land Conservation and Reclamation Council. 98 p. [15458]
77. Delwiche, C. C.; Zinke, Paul J.; Johnson, Clarence M. 1965. Nitrogen fixation by ceanothus. Plant Pathology. 40: 1045-1047. [16852]
82. Dorn, Robert D. 1988. Vascular plants of Wyoming. Cheyenne, WY: Mountain West Publishing. 340 p. [6129]
94. Fredriksen, Richard L.; Harr, R. Dennis. 1979. Soil, vegetation, and watershed management. In: Heilman, Paul E.; Anderson, Harry W.; Baumgartner, David M., eds. Forest soils of the Douglas-fir region. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension Service: 231-260. [8212]
109. Gratkowski, Henry John. 1962. Heat as a factor in germination of seeds of Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus T. & G. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 122 p. Dissertation. [34941]
121. Hardy BBT Limited. 1989. Manual of plant species suitability for reclamation in Alberta. 2d ed. Report No. RRTAC 89-4. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Land Conservation and Reclamation Council. 436 p. [15460]
129. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 730 p. [1168]
154. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 648 p. [13798]
175. McDonald, Philip M.; Abbott, Celeste S. 1997. Vegetation trends in a 31-year-old ponderosa pine plantation: effect of different shrub densities. Res. Paper PSW-RP-231. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 35 p. [38454]
197. Mozingo, Hugh N. 1987. Shrubs of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 342 p. [1702]
240. Stanton, Frank. 1974. Wildlife guidelines for range fire rehabilitation. Tech. Note 6712. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 90 p. [2221]
242. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1987. The grand fir/blue huckleberry habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-228. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 66 p. [8133]
252. Stickney, Peter F. 1965. Note on winter crown kill of Ceanothus velutinus. Proceedings, Montana Academy of Sciences. 25: 52-57. [38268]
261. Sutton, Richard F.; Johnson, Craig W. 1974. Landscape plants from Utah's mountains. EC-368. Logan, UT: Utah State University, Cooperative Extension Service. 135 p. [49]
271. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 1976. Some important native shrubs of the west. Ogden, UT. 16 p. [2388]
284. Weber, William A. 1987. Colorado flora: western slope. Boulder, CO: Colorado Associated University Press. 530 p. [7706]
285. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
303. Zavitkovski, Jaroslav. 1966. Snowbrush, Ceanothus velutinus Dougl., its ecology and role in forest regeneration in the Oregon Cascades. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 102 p. Dissertation. [35485]
135. Idaho State Department of Commerce and Development. [n.d.]. Idaho wild flowers. Boise, ID: Idaho State Department of Commerce and Development. Pamphlet. 10 p. [17999]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Habitat

Habitat characteristics

More info for the terms: cover, mesic

Thickets of snowbrush ceanothus often occupy open rocky hillsides and partially
shaded forests [37]. Plants are often found on moderately dry to
moderately moist mountain slopes [70,130,132,136,154,197,209,240] and on steep
canyon slopes [284]. Though found on all aspects [198,207,217,240,300], snowbrush ceanothus may be more likely to occur on south aspects [132,136,154,199,266], followed by west
[132,136,154] and east slopes [207,217]. In the western redcedar-western hemlock zone of northern Idaho,
frequency and percent
cover of snowbrush ceanothus were significantly greater (p<0.01) on south
aspects than on north aspects [198]. Though snowbrush ceanothus occurs on moist as well
as relatively dry sites, it is more likely to dominate the
vegetation on mesic sites [135,144,238].

Elevation: Snowbrush ceanothus has a wide elevational
distribution [240], extending from near sea level to high mountains [271]. It
generally occurs at higher elevations on south-facing slopes than on
north-facing slopes [5,14]. Elevation ranges for different areas of snowbrush
ceanothus distribution are as follows:

LocationElevation rangeReferencesOregon, Washington1,500 to 7,000 feet (450-2,130 m)[26,103,104,124,130,262,278,301]Wyoming, Montana, Idaho3,800 to 9,500 feet (1,150-3,000 m)[51,80,208,300]California
up to 9,800 feet (3,000 m) [64,127]Great Basin region 3,500 to 10,000+ feet (1,050-3,050 m)[27,197]Utah4,900 to 13,000 feet (1,490-3,960 m)[70,80,209,285]Colorado6,000 to 10,000 feet (1,830-3,050 m)[80]
Climate: In the Pacific Northwest, winters are moderately cold and relatively wet, with
precipitation generally occurring from November to May. Annual
precipitation at sites with snowbrush ceanothus in this region has been reported
at 18 to 23 inches (460-580 mm) [26,124]. Summers are warm and dry [26]. In California,
annual precipitation may range from 40 to 60 inches (1020-1520 mm) [104,176]. In
Montana and Idaho, annual precipitation ranges from 27 to 45 inches (690-1140
mm) [51,158]. In
Utah, the moisture requirement of snowbrush ceanothus is 16 to 20 inches
(410-510 mm) [209].

In Idaho, the growing season lasts from 70 to 90 days [51].
Snowbrush ceanothus has good winter hardiness, though it may be subject to
winter dieback on exposed sites [121]. It is damaged by low
temperatures if not protected by snow cover [162,252,261].
Conversely, if snowbrush ceanothus crowns are not covered by snow, they are
susceptible to winterkill if a relatively warm period (reducing winter
hardiness) is followed by a sudden severe drop in temperature [252].

Soils: Growth of snowbrush ceanothus is fair on
gravelly, sandy, and clay loam soils and poor on dense clays [80]. It grows well on sandy loams, loams, and clay loams [80,130,176,208]
and on poorly developed, loose or unstable soils [14,26]. Soil
depths range from shallow soils with numerous rock outcrops to deposits of
unconsolidated material many feet deep [26]. Although snowbrush
ceanothus grows in almost any soil, it grows best in medium- to coarse-textured,
well-drained soils 20 to 60+ inches (51-152+ cm) deep [37,130,198,208,240,261].
Soil nutrient content is generally low [121,162]. A soil pH of 5.5 to 7.0
is often found on snowbrush ceanothus sites [37,261]. Snowbrush
ceanothus has medium tolerance for acid soils [121,271], and neutral to
moderately alkaline soils can also produce good growth [37]. Snowbrush ceanothus is moderately
drought tolerant [121,261].

References:

127. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
5. Allen-Diaz, Barbara H. 1991. Water table and plant species relationships in Sierra Nevada meadows. The American Midland Naturalist. 126: 30-43. [16149]
14. Bailey, Warren Hutchinson. 1963. Revegetation in the 1914-1915 devastated area of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 195 p. Dissertation. [29203]
26. Berndt, H. W. 1971. Early effects of forest fire on streamflow characteristics. Res. Note PNW-148. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 9 p. [8568]
27. Billings, W. D. 1994. Ecological impacts of cheatgrass and resultant fire on ecosystems in the western Great Basin. In: Monsen, Stephen B.; Kitchen, Stanley G., compilers. Proceedings--ecology and management of annual rangelands; 1992 May 18-22; Boise, ID. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-313. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 22-30. [24248]
37. Borland, Jim. 1988. Ceanothus velutinus. American Nurseryman. 168(9): 154. [35445]
51. Christianson, Steven P.; Adams, David L.; Grahm, Russell T. 1984. First season survival and growth of Douglas-fir planted in north Idaho shrubfields. Tech. Rep. 16. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho, Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. 6 p. [7256]
64. Countryman, Clive M. 1982. Physical characteristics of some northern California brush fuels. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-61. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 8 p. [4177]
70. Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Noel H.; Holmgren, Patricia K. 1997. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 3, Part A. Subclass Rosidae (except Fabales). New York: The New York Botanical Garden. 446 p. [28652]
80. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
103. Graham, Joseph N.; Murray, Edward W.; Minore, Don. 1982. Environment, vegetation, and regeneration after timber harvest in the Hungry-Pickett area of southwest Oregon. Res. Note PNW-400. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 17 p. [8424]
104. Gratkowski, H. 1961. Brush seedlings after controlled burning of brushlands in southwestern Oregon. Journal of Forestry. 59(12): 885-888. [3392]
121. Hardy BBT Limited. 1989. Manual of plant species suitability for reclamation in Alberta. 2d ed. Report No. RRTAC 89-4. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Land Conservation and Reclamation Council. 436 p. [15460]
124. Helvey, J. D. 1980. Effects of a north central Washington wildfire on runoff and sediment production. Water Resources Bulletin. 16(4): 627-634. [8562]
130. Hopkins, William E. 1979. Plant associations of south Chiloquin and Klamath Ranger Districts--Winema National Forest. R6-Ecol-79-005. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 96 p. [7339]
132. Humphrey, Harry B.; Weaver, John Ernst. 1915. Natural reforestation in the mountains of northern Idaho. Plant World. 18: 31-49. [12448]
136. Irwin, Larry L.; Peek, James M. 1979. Shrub production and biomass trends following five logging treatments within the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Forest Science. 25(3): 415-426. [16511]
144. Keeley, Jon E. 1991. Seed germination and life history syndromes in the California chaparral. The Botanical Review. 57(2): 81-116. [36973]
154. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 648 p. [13798]
158. Larsen, J. A. 1930. Forest types of the northern Rocky Mountains and their climatic controls. Ecology. 11(4): 631-672. [12449]
162. Lewis, Mont E. 1971. Flora and major plant communities of the Ruby-East Humboldt Mountains with special emphasis on Lamoille Canyon. Elko, NV: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 4, Humboldt National Forest. 62 p. [1450]
176. McDonald, Philip M.; Fiddler, Gary O. 1990. Ponderosa pine seedlings and competing vegetation: ecology, growth, and cost. Res. Pap. PSW-199. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 10 p. [15769]
197. Mozingo, Hugh N. 1987. Shrubs of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 342 p. [1702]
198. Mueggler, W. F. 1961. Ecology of seral shrub communities in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Durham, NC: Duke University. 126 p. Thesis. [9981]
199. Mueggler, Walter F. 1965. Ecology of seral shrub communities in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Ecological Monographs. 35: 165-185. [4016]
207. Noste, Nonan V.; Bushey, Charles L. 1987. Fire response of shrubs of dry forest habitat types in Montana and Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-239. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 22 p. [255]
208. Orme, Mark L.; Leege, Thomas A. 1976. Emergence and survival of redstem (Ceanothus sanguineus) following prescribed burning. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, Montana. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 391-420. [6273]
209. Parker, Karl G. 1975. Some important Utah range plants. Extension Service Bulletin EC-383. Logan, UT: Utah State University. 174 p. [9878]
217. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]
238. Skau, C. M.; Meeuwig, R. O.; Townsend, T. W. 1970. Ecology of eastside Sierra chaparral: A literature review. R71. Reno, NV: University of Nevada, Max C. Fleischmann College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. 14 p. [3798]
240. Stanton, Frank. 1974. Wildlife guidelines for range fire rehabilitation. Tech. Note 6712. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 90 p. [2221]
252. Stickney, Peter F. 1965. Note on winter crown kill of Ceanothus velutinus. Proceedings, Montana Academy of Sciences. 25: 52-57. [38268]
261. Sutton, Richard F.; Johnson, Craig W. 1974. Landscape plants from Utah's mountains. EC-368. Logan, UT: Utah State University, Cooperative Extension Service. 135 p. [49]
262. Swedberg, Kenneth C. 1973. A transition coniferous forest in the Cascade Mountains of northern Oregon. The American Midland Naturalist. 89(1): 1-25. [4806]
266. Tiedemann, Arthur R.; Klock, Glen O. 1976. Development of vegetation after fire, seeding, and fertilization on the Entiat Experimental Forest. In: Proceedings, annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1974 October 16-17; Portland, OR. No. 15. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 171-191. [2328]
271. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 1976. Some important native shrubs of the west. Ogden, UT. 16 p. [2388]
278. Wallace, Michael Wayne. 1976. The effects of fire on nutrient conditions in the Pinus ponderosa zone of central Oregon. Seattle, WA: University of Washington. 73 p. Thesis. [34456]
284. Weber, William A. 1987. Colorado flora: western slope. Boulder, CO: Colorado Associated University Press. 530 p. [7706]
285. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
300. Zamora, Benjamin Abel. 1975. Secondary succession on broadcast-burned clearcuts of the Abies grandis-Pachistima myrsinites habitat type in northcentral Idaho. Pullman, WA: Washington State University. 127 p. Dissertation. [5154]
301. Zavitkovski, J.; Newton, M. 1968. Ecological importance of snowbrush Ceanothus velutinus in the Oregon Cascades. Ecology. 49(6): 1134-1145. [4118]
135. Idaho State Department of Commerce and Development. [n.d.]. Idaho wild flowers. Boise, ID: Idaho State Department of Commerce and Development. Pamphlet. 10 p. [17999]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Key Plant Community Associations

More info for the terms: shrub, tree

Plant Communities and Associates:
Snowbrush ceanothus is common in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) communities
[53,80,174,191,203,275,276,285,291]. Plant associates in these communities
include bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) [19,53,114,191,203,276,291],
willow (Salix spp.), common snowberry (Symphoricarpos
albus), ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceus),
oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) [291], rose (Rosa spp.), serviceberry (Amelanchier
spp.) [174,291], quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides) [174], giant chinquapin (Chrysolepis
chrysophylla), prince's pine (Chimaphila umbellata) [20,203], Gambel oak
(Quercus gambelii) [53], curlleaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius)
[114], manzanitas
(Arctostaphylos spp.) [19,53,191,203,276],
bittercherry (Prunus emarginata), white spirea (Spiraea
betulifolia), redstem ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus) [291], Ross' sedge (Carex rossii)
[19], Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) [114,276], and western needlegrass [191,276]

In the intermountain ponderosa pine region, snowbrush ceanothus forms extensive
shrubfields with bush chinquapin (Chrysolepis sempervirens), greenleaf
manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula), menziesia (Menziesia ferruginea), Rocky Mountain
maple (Acer glabrum), ninebark, and willows [105].

In lodgepole pine communities (Pinus
contorta) [226,276,285], snowbrush ceanothus occurs with ponderosa pine [226,276], white fir
(Abies concolor) [276],
white spruce (Picea glauca), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), limber pine (Pinus flexilis), common juniper (Juniperus communis), quaking
aspen, bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Oregon-grape (Mahonia repens),
rose, red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), western
snowberry (Symphoricarpos
occidentalis), grouse whortleberry (Vaccinium scoparium) [226], greenleaf manzanita, pinemat manzanita
(Arctostaphylos nevadensis), and bitterbrush [276]

In Douglas-fir forests (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
[80,124], snowbrush ceanothus occurs with lodgepole pine, grand fir
(Abies grandis),
western redcedar (Thuja plicata), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
[4], vine
maple (Acer circinatum) [93], ninebark [11],
Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites) [4,93,124], bearberry [4,93], mountain snowberry,
chokecherry, currant, big sagebrush, Rocky Mountain maple, mountain-mahogany
(Cercocarpus montanus), russet buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis), common
snowberry [65,210], willow [65,124], Oregon-grape, Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii), white spirea [65], big
huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), dwarf Oregon-grape
(Berberis nervosa), and trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus) [93].

In mixed conifer communities [130,145,275], snowbrush ceanothus occurs with sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)
[76,145], ponderosa pine [24,76,130,145,275], lodgepole pine [24,275], Douglas-fir
[24,76,130], incense-cedar (Calocedrus
decurrens), white fir [76,130,145], grand fir [24,145], western hemlock, western
redcedar, California red fir (Abies
magnifica),
tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), Jeffrey pine
(Pinus jeffreyi), and California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) [145]. Understory associates include willow
[24,76], Oregon boxwood [130], bitterbrush,
needlegrass (Achnatherum spp.), sedge (Carex spp.) [275], common
snowberry [76], bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) [130], manzanita [76,145,275],
chinquapin [76,130,145,275], bittercherry,
deerbrush (Ceanothus
integerrimus), mountain whitethorn (C. cordulatus) [145], mahala mat (C. prostratus) [76,145], redstem ceanothus, and pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens)
[24].

Snowbrush ceanothus occurs in white fir-California
red fir forests [5,88] with ponderosa pine [88,122],
Jeffrey pine [122], bush chinquapin [88],
greenleaf manzanita [88,122], mahala mat [5,122],
snowberry [5], rubber rabbitbrush, and wax currant (Ribes cereum) [122].

Snowbrush ceanothus occurs in Jeffrey pine-white fir forests
[14,34,35] with sugar pine [34], lodgepole pine [34,35], golden
currant (Ribes aureum), incense-cedar [34], mahala mat, bush chinquapin,
greenleaf manzanita [34,35], wax currant, and bittercherry [35].

Snowbrush ceanothus is a common or dominant component
in seral shrubfields of the northern Rockies [21,208,237].
Plant associates in these communities include Scouler willow (Salix
scouleriana), Rocky Mountain maple, Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
[21,51,120,166,208], currant
(Ribes spp.), mountain whitethorn [170], redstem ceanothus
[21,51,208],
Oregon boxwood [21,51,120,208], red
elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), russet buffaloberry [237], white spirea, common
snowberry [21,208], menziesia [21], ninebark [21,51,166,208], thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), bittercherry
[120,208], oceanspray [51,208], Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii),
red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), big huckleberry, and Utah honeysuckle (Lonicera utahensis) [208].
Snowbrush ceanothus may comprise up to 80% of the shrub volume in these
communities [51].

In quaking aspen communities [16,49,50,134,285],
snowbrush ceanothus occurs with chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), mountain snowberry
[49,50], serviceberry, and
Oregon boxwood [49,50,134].

In pinyon-juniper (Pinus spp.-Juniperus
spp.) woodlands [80,147],
snowbrush ceanothus occurs with serviceberry, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata),
rubber rabbitbrush, green rabbitbrush (C.
viscidiflorus), green
ephedra (Ephedra viridis), bitterbrush, desert gooseberry (Ribes
velutinum), blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea), and mountain
snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus) [147].

In mountain brush communities [14,15,42,221,285], snowbrush ceanothus commonly occurs with Rocky Mountain maple
[202],
bigtooth maple [42], big sagebrush [15,42,221],
black sagebrush (Artemisia nova) [42], bearberry [14,42], ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.) [42], serviceberry
[15,42,42,44,202,221], Stansbury
cliffrose (Purshia mexicana var. stansburiana) [42], bitterbrush [15,42], snowberry [15,42,44,202,221], Oregon boxwood
[15], curlleaf mountain-mahogany [42,119], true mountain-mahogany [42], ninebark
[15,221], rubber rabbitbrush [202], oaks (Quercus spp.) [42,202,221], New Mexico locust (Robinia neomexicana) [42],
Wood's rose [202], currant [44,202],
Prunus spp. [14,15,42,44,202,221], quaking aspen [44,202], and Idaho fescue [44].

In montane chaparral communities [36,119], snowbrush ceanothus commonly occurs with manzanita
[31,36,60,119], bush chinquapin [31,36,60,119], ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.)
[31,36,119], currant [44,202], curlleaf mountain-mahogany, rubber rabbitbrush [119], silktassel (Garrya
spp.) [36], quaking aspen [44,202], oaks (Quercus spp.) [31,36,60], and Prunus
spp. [36,60,119]. Common tree species that may be present in these communities include
white fir, California red fir, sugar pine, ponderosa pine, Jeffrey
pine, and incense-cedar [36].

Plant Community Dominance:
Classifications in which snowbrush ceanothus is
identified as a plant community dominant are:

Colorado [16]

Idaho [242,243,244,245,246,247,248,249]

Nevada [162]

Oregon [130,276]
Washington [93]

Snowbrush ceanothus forms "layer groups",
or early seral shrub layers, in grand fir habitat types, co-dominating these
layers with Sitka alder (Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata), sticky
currant (Ribes viscosissum),
Scouler willow, white spirea, Utah honeysuckle, thimbleberry, Rocky Mountain maple, or
big huckleberry [242,245,247]. In Douglas-fir habitat types, snowbrush ceanothus shrub
layers are formed with pinegrass, currant, Scouler willow,
Prunus spp., serviceberry, mountain snowberry, white spirea, ninebark, or
Rocky Mountain maple [243,244,246,248,249].

References:

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11. Arno, Stephen F.; Simmerman, Dennis G.; Keane, Robert E. 1985. Forest succession on four habitat types in western Montana. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-177. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 74 p. [349]
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20. Barrett, James W.; Newman, Richard P. 1974. High yields from 100-year-old ponderosa pine. Res. Note PNW-220. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 12 p. [15816]
21. Barrett, Stephen W. 1982. Fire's influence on ecosystems of the Clearwater National Forest: Cook Mountain fire history inventory. Orofino, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Clearwater National Forest. 42 p. [10042]
24. Beebe, Tom. 1982. Are handscalps an effective method of site preparation in central Washington. In: Baumgartner, David M., compiler. Site preparation and fuels management on steep terrain: Proceedings of a symposium; 1982 February 15-17; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 45-48. [18530]
31. Biswell, Harold H. 1974. Effects of fire on chaparral. In: Kozlowski, T. T.; Ahlgren, C. E., eds. Fire and ecosystems. New York: Academic Press: 321-364. [14547]
34. Bock, Carl E.; Lynch, James F. 1970. Breeding bird populations of burned and unburned conifer forest in the Sierra Nevada. The Condor. 72: 182-189. [5113]
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36. Bolsinger, Charles L. 1989. Shrubs of California's chaparral, timberland, and woodland: area, ownership, and stand characteristics. Res. Bull. PNW-RB-160. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Experiment Station. 50 p. [7426]
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44. Bunting, Stephen C.; Neuenschwander, Leon F.; Gruell, George E. 1985. Fire ecology of antelope bitterbrush in the northern Rocky Mountains. In: Lotan, James E.; Brown, James K., compilers. Fire's effects on wildlife habitat--symposium proceedings; 1984 March 21; Missoula, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-186. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 48-57. [560]
51. Christianson, Steven P.; Adams, David L.; Grahm, Russell T. 1984. First season survival and growth of Douglas-fir planted in north Idaho shrubfields. Tech. Rep. 16. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho, Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. 6 p. [7256]
53. Clary, Warren P. 1988. Silvicultural systems for forage production in ponderosa pine forests. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Lotan, James E., compilers. Ponderosa pine: The species and its management: Symposium proceedings; 1987 September 29 - October 1; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 185-191. [9417]
60. Conard, S. G.; Radosevich, S. R. 1982. Post-fire succession in white fir (Abies concolor) vegetation of the northern Sierra Nevada. Madrono. 29(1): 42-56. [4931]
65. Crane, M. F.; Fischer, William C. 1986. Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of central Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-218. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 85 p. [5297]
76. DellaSalla, Dominick A.; Anthony, Robert G.; Spies, Thomas A.; Engel, Kathleen A. 1998. Management of bald eagle communal roosts in fire-adapted mixed-conifer forests. Journal of Wildlife Management. 62(1): 322-333. [28597]
80. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
88. Fiddler, Gary O.; McDonald, Philip M. 1999. Treatment duration and time since disturbance affect vegetation development in a young ponderosa pine plantation. Res. Note PSW-RN-424. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 8 p. [37341]
105. Gratkowski, H. 1974. Brushfield reclamation and type conversion. In: Cramer, Owen P., ed. Environmental effects of forest residues management in the Pacific Northwest: A state-of-knowledge compendium. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-24.Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station: I-1 to I-31. [6418]
114. Habeck, James R. 1994. Dynamics of forest communities used by great gray owls. In: Hayward, Gregory D.; Verner, Jon, tech. eds. Flammulated, boreal, and great gray owls in the United States: a technical conservation assessment. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-253. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 176-201. [27356]
119. Hanes, Ted L. 1977. California chaparral. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 417-469. [7216]
120. Hann, Wendel J. 1986. Evaluation of site preparation and conifer release treatments in north Idaho shrubfields. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Boyd, Raymond J.; Breuer, David W.; Miller, Daniel L., compilers and eds. Weed control for forest productivity in the Interior West: Symposium proceedings; 1985 February 5-7; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 115-119. [1074]
122. Hawthorne, Vernon M. 1971. Coyote movements in Sagehen Creek Basin, northeastern California. California Fish and Game. 57(3): 154-161. [25126]
124. Helvey, J. D. 1980. Effects of a north central Washington wildfire on runoff and sediment production. Water Resources Bulletin. 16(4): 627-634. [8562]
130. Hopkins, William E. 1979. Plant associations of south Chiloquin and Klamath Ranger Districts--Winema National Forest. R6-Ecol-79-005. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 96 p. [7339]
134. Hungerford, Roger D. 1988. Soil temperatures and suckering in burned and unburned aspen stands in Idaho. Research Note INT-378. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 6 p. [5180]
145. Kinloch, Bohun B., Jr.; Scheuner, William. 1990. Pinus lambertiana Dougl. sugar pine. In: Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., tech. coords. Silvics of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agricultural Handbook 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 370-379. [13194]
147. Koniak, Susan. 1985. Succession in pinyon-juniper woodlands following wildfire in the Great Basin. The Great Basin Naturalist. 45(3): 556-566. [1371]
162. Lewis, Mont E. 1971. Flora and major plant communities of the Ruby-East Humboldt Mountains with special emphasis on Lamoille Canyon. Elko, NV: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 4, Humboldt National Forest. 62 p. [1450]
166. Lyon, L. Jack. 1979. Influences of logging and weather on elk distribution in western Montana. Res. Pap. INT-236. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 11 p. [7958]
174. McConnell, Burt R.; Smith, Justin G. 1970. Response of understory vegetation to ponderosa pine thinning in eastern Washington. Journal of Range Management. 23(3): 208-212. [15839]
191. Monleon, Vicente J.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr. 1996. Long-term effects of prescribed underburning on litter decomposition and nutrient release in ponderosa pine stands in central Oregon. Forest Ecology and Management. 81: 143-152. [26774]
202. Nevada Chapter - The Wildlife Society. 1998. Influence of fire on wildlife habitat in the Great Basin: a position statement - August 16, 1998. Transactions, Western Section of the Wildlife Society. 34: 42-57. [35093]
208. Orme, Mark L.; Leege, Thomas A. 1976. Emergence and survival of redstem (Ceanothus sanguineus) following prescribed burning. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, Montana. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 391-420. [6273]
210. Patten, Tom; Oliver, Mike. 1986. Fire management plan: Frank Church--River of No Return Wilderness. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region; Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region. 154 p. [21208]
221. Ream, Robert Ray. 1964. The vegetation of the Wasatch Mountains, Utah and Idaho. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin. 178 p. Dissertation. [5506]
226. Rogers, Dilwyn J. 1969. Isolated stands of lodgepole pine and limber pine in the Black Hills. Proceedings, South Dakota Academy of Sciences. 48: 138-147. [34994]
237. Simpson, Michael L. 1990. The subalpine fir/beargrass habitat type: Succession and management. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho. 134 p. Thesis. [13464]
242. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1987. The grand fir/blue huckleberry habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-228. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 66 p. [8133]
243. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The Douglas-fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Preliminary draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 77 p. [8434]
244. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-252. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 65 p. [8136]
245. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The grand fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Review draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 148 p. [8435]
246. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1990. The Douglas-fir/pinegrass habitat type in central Idaho: Succession and management. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 155 p. Review draft. [15764]
247. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1992. The grand fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-284. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 90 p. [17791]
248. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1993. The Douglas-fir/pinegrass habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-298. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 83 p. [21512]
249. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1994. The Douglas-fir/white spirea habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-305. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 81 p. [23481]
275. Volland, Leonard A. 1974. Relation of pocket gophers to plant communities in the pine region of central Oregon. In: Black, Hugh C., ed. Wildlife and forest management in the Pacific Northwest: Proceedings of a symposium; 1973 September 11-12; Corvallis, OR. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, School of Forestry, Forest Research Laboratory: 149-166. [8003]
276. Volland, Leonard A. 1985. Plant associations of the central Oregon pumice zone. R6-ECOL-104-1985. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 138 p. [7341]
285. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
291. Wright, Henry A. 1978. The effect of fire on vegetation in ponderosa pine forests: A state-of-the-art review. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University, Department of Range and Wildlife Management. 21 p. In cooperation with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. [4425]
49. Canon, S. K.; Urness, P. J.; DeByle, N. V. 1987. Habitat selection, Foraging behavior, and dietary nutrition of elk in burned aspen forest. Journal of Range Management. 40(5): 443-438. [3453]
50. Canon, Stephen Kemble. 1985. Habitat selection, Foraging behavior, and dietary nutrition of elk in burned vs unburned aspen forest. Logan, UT: Utah State University. 110 p. Thesis. [599]
170. Marcot, Bruce G. 1983. Snag use by birds in Douglas-fir clearcuts. In: Davis, Jerry W.; Goodwin, Gregory A.; Ockenfeis, Richard A., technical coordinators. Snag Habitat management: proceedings of the symposium; 1983 June 7-9; Flagstaff, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-99. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 134-139. [17828]
93. Franklin, Jerry F.; Moir, William H.; Hemstrom, Miles A.; [and others]. 1988. The forest communities of Mount Rainier National Park. Scientific Monograph Series No 19. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 194 p. [12392]
203. Nissley, S. D.; Zasoski, R. J.; Martin, R. E. 1980. Nutrient changes after prescribed surface burning of Oregon ponderosa pine stands. In: Martin, Robert E.; Edmonds, Donald A.; Harrington, James B.; [and others], eds. Proceedings, 6th conference of fire and forest meterology; 1980 April 22-24; Seattle, WA. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters: 214-219. [10207]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):

More info for the term: cover

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [235]:

104 Antelope bitterbrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

105 Antelope bitterbrush-Idaho fescue

107 Western juniper/big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass

109 Ponderosa pine shrubland

110 Ponderosa pine-grassland

201 Blue oak woodland

206 Chamise chaparral

207 Scrub oak mixed chaparral

208 Ceanothus mixed chaparral

209 Montane shrubland

210 Bitterbrush

314 Big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

315 Big sagebrush-Idaho fescue

316 Big sagebrush-rough fescue

317 Bitterbrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

318 Bitterbrush-Idaho fescue

319 Bitterbrush-rough fescue

320 Black sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

321 Black sagebrush-Idaho fescue

322 Curlleaf mountain-mahogany-bluebunch wheatgrass

401 Basin big sagebrush

402 Mountain big sagebrush

403 Wyoming big sagebrush

411 Aspen woodland

412 Juniper-pinyon woodland

413 Gambel oak

415 Curlleaf mountain-mahogany

416 True mountain-mahogany

417 Littleleaf mountain-mahogany

418 Bigtooth maple

419 Bittercherry

420 Snowbrush

421 Chokecherry-serviceberry-rose

References:

235. Shiflet, Thomas N., ed. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Denver, CO: Society for Range Management. 152 p. [23362]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Habitat: Cover Types

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: cover

SAF COVER TYPES [86]:

205 Mountain hemlock

206 Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir

207 Red fir

210 Interior Douglas-fir

211 White fir

212 Western larch

213 Grand fir

215 Western white pine

216 Blue spruce

217 Aspen

218 Lodgepole pine

219 Limber pine

220 Rocky Mountain juniper

224 Western hemlock

225 Western hemlock-Sitka spruce

226 Coastal true fir-hemlock

227 Western redcedar-western hemlock

228 Western redcedar

229 Pacific Douglas-fir

230 Douglas-fir-western hemlock

231 Port-Orford-cedar

232 Redwood

233 Oregon white oak

234 Douglas-fir-tanoak-Pacific madrone

237 Interior ponderosa pine

238 Western juniper

239 Pinyon-juniper

243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer

244 Pacific ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir

245 Pacific ponderosa pine

246 California black oak

247 Jeffrey pine

249 Canyon live oak

250 Blue oak-foothills pine

256 California mixed subalpine

References:

86. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Habitat: Plant Associations

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: shrub

KUCHLER [151] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

K001 Spruce-cedar-hemlock forest

K002 Cedar-hemlock-Douglas-fir forest

K003 Silver fir-Douglas-fir forest

K004 Fir-hemlock forest

K005 Mixed conifer forest

K006 Redwood forest

K007 Red fir forest

K008 Lodgepole pine-subalpine forest

K010 Ponderosa shrub forest

K011 Western ponderosa forest

K012 Douglas-fir forest

K013 Cedar-hemlock-pine forest

K014 Grand fir-Douglas-fir forest

K015 Western spruce-fir forest

K016 Eastern ponderosa forest

K017 Black Hills pine forest

K018 Pine-Douglas-fir forest

K020 Spruce-fir-Douglas-fir forest

K021 Southwestern spruce-fir forest

K022 Great Basin pine forest

K023 Juniper-pinyon woodland

K024 Juniper steppe woodland

K026 Oregon oakwoods

K028 Mosaic of K002 and K026

K029 California mixed evergreen forest

K030 California oakwoods

K032 Transition between K031 and K037

K033 Chaparral

K034 Montane chaparral

K036 Mosaic of K030 and K035

K037 Mountain-mahogany-oak scrub

K038 Great Basin sagebrush

K050 Fescue-wheatgrass

K055 Sagebrush steppe

K056 Wheatgrass-needlegrass shrubsteppe

References:

151. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. United States [Potential natural vegetation of the conterminous United States]. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 1:3,168,000; colored. [3455]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Habitat: Ecosystem

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

ECOSYSTEMS [98]:

FRES20 Douglas-fir

FRES21 Ponderosa pine

FRES22 Western white pine

FRES23 Fir-spruce

FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce

FRES25 Larch

FRES26 Lodgepole pine

FRES27 Redwood

FRES28 Western hardwoods

FRES29 Sagebrush

FRES34 Chaparral-mountain shrub

FRES35 Pinyon-juniper

FRES36 Mountain grasslands

References:

98. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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General Ecology

Fire Management Considerations

More info for the terms: cover, density, frequency, prescribed fire, severity

Season of Burning: In general, low severity spring burns can increase snowbrush ceanothus cover
quickly through regrowth from root crowns. Spring burning of seral
brushfields in the Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type in Montana resulted in snowbrush
ceanothus exceeding its prefire coverage in the 1st postfire growing season, and
its
percent coverage nearly doubled during the 3rd postfire growing season [206].
While potentially killing a large number of mature snowbrush ceanothus plants
[207], severe summer and fall burns generally stimulate germination of
ground-stored seed to produce young plants, thus providing a long-term increase
in snowbrush ceanothus [206]. Snowbrush ceanothus seedling establishment
is usually enhanced by fall burns. A high-severity fall burn is more likely to
produce a dense stand of snowbrush ceanothus than a "cooler" spring burn [217], and spring burns produce fewer
sprouts
[295]. Prescribed fires must burn hot enough to stimulate seed germination, otherwise
snowbrush ceanothus is unlikely to increase on a site [264].

Slash Disposal: Snowbrush ceanothus commonly establishes on sites that have been broadcast
burned following harvesting activities,
and can establish by the 1st year after disturbance [54,109,223,300].
Burned sites are
more likely to have substantial snowbrush ceanothus in the successional
community than unburned sites [199].
In the western redcedar-western hemlock zone of northern Idaho, the frequency, crown cover, and
relative importance of snowbrush ceanothus were much greater in broadcast burned
areas than in either undisturbed or logged, unburned areas [198]. Maximum cover was attained 3 to 5 years after timber
harvest associated with subsequent slash burns in western hemlock forests of
north-central Idaho. Where timber harvest was not followed by
postharvest burns, cover increased much more slowly, and maximum values were not
reached until 15 to 25 years after disturbance [159]. Snowbrush
ceanothus also responded to broadcast burning following harvest in ponderosa
pine stands in Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon [228]. Broadcast burning results in a greater number of snowbrush ceanothus seedlings
than piling and burning slash [109], though the occurrence of
snowbrush ceanothus also increases on sites that have been slash-burned rather
than not burned [251].

Snowbrush ceanothus may dominate early seral stages
following clearcut and severe broadcast burning activities in grand fir
and Douglas-fir habitat types [101,110,250,300], as well as sites in the
western hemlock zone that have been logged and lightly or heavily burned [117].
Seven years following a prescribed fire in a Douglas-fir forest in Idaho, snowbrush ceanothus density increased from 0.1 to 56.4 per 1,000 square feet, and percent canopy cover
increased from 0.02 to 10% [165]. In another study, however, snowbrush
ceanothus cover on clearcut, broadcast burned Douglas-fir sites in Oregon did not increase
substantially until 15 years after treatment, with cover values dropping again by
postfire year 20 [232].

Fire Severity: The duration and magnitude of snowbrush ceanothus dominance
generally increase with the
severity of disturbance [117,155]. Following the
Waterfalls Canyon Fire, a severe burn in Wyoming, snowbrush ceanothus remained
abundant for more than 40 postfire years [18]. Fourteen to 23 years following
a clearcut and "hot" broadcast burn treatment in a Douglas-fir forest,
percent cover of snowbrush ceanothus ranged from 4 to 85%, increasing from the
original 0% [12]. In a study of clearcut and broadcast
burned grand fir sites, snowbrush ceanothus disappeared by 23 years after
treatment [300]. Lafferty [155] found that the highest canopy
cover increase of snowbrush ceanothus on sites in western Montana occurred on
severely burned (vs. lightly burned), south-facing sites. In the western
redcedar-western hemlock zone of
northern Idaho, snowbrush ceanothus occurred more frequently and with greater
percent cover on sites that had been burned than on sites that were either
undisturbed or logged and not burned. Sites that were broadcast burned had more
snowbrush ceanothus than sites that were slash-piled and burned, and multiple broadcast
burns resulted in the highest snowbrush ceanothus values [199]. In a Douglas-fir forest
on the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest,
percent cover of snowbrush ceanothus increased 2 years after clearcutting with
no burning, clearcutting with light burning, and clearcutting with severe
burning. The greatest increase in percent cover followed the light burn
treatment [83]. On another Douglas-fir site in Oregon,
snowbrush ceanothus percent cover steadily increased for 5 years following slash
burning in clearcuts, from 0.3% to 7.5%. After logging but prior to burning, no
increase of snowbrush ceanothus percent cover was observed [84].
Morris [194,195] found that snowbrush ceanothus grew on harvested sites
following slash burning, but was much more scarce on unburned sites in
Douglas-fir communities of Oregon.

Wildlife Implications: Dense canopies of snowbrush ceanothus generally result from severe burns, and
will deter both livestock and erosion; light canopies generated by a
low-severity burn can provide shelter for Douglas-fir seedlings
[242,244,246,247,248].
In western Montana, long-term propagation of snowbrush ceanothus for elk winter
range may be best accomplished through fall burning, both to stimulate seed
germination and reduce impacts of concentrated browsing [169]. However,
Noste [205] found that survival of snowbrush ceanothus was higher on
spring-burned that on fall-burned sites (100% survival versus 40%).

Nutrient Content: During the 1st growing season following prescribed burning of seral shrubfields
(Douglas-fir climax) in British Columbia,
nitrogen concentration and phosphorus concentration of snowbrush ceanothus
leaves increased, though the levels returned to preburn concentrations by the
2nd growing season. Copper concentrations in snowbrush ceanothus leaves and
stems decreased following burning [78]. The following table
summarizes snowbrush ceanothus plant information and nitrogen accretion of a
snowbrush ceanothus stand developing on a Douglas-fir clearcut and slash-burn
site in Oregon [298]:

Postburn yearDensity plants/haNodulation (% of roots)Cover (%)Snowbrush ceanothus biomassN accretion (kg/ha)Dry weight (kg/ha)N concentration (%)1142,1000trace992.002.02149,0000trace6551.379.0396,1007172,7891.3738.2470,10025179,5481.27121.3561,700422523,0841.05243.4761,700715030,9921.16359.51036,400925854,2870.66358.31535,5001007062,1000.48298.8

As snowbrush ceanothus biomass increased with age, nitrogen
concentration decreased due to the higher proportion of woody material relative
to leaf tissue. Net accretion of nitrogen by snowbrush ceanothus fixation was 1,110 pounds per acre
(1,261 kg/ha) over the 15 years of the study [298].
Root Nodulation: Nodulation of snowbrush ceanothus seedlings that establish following fire may
be a function of the overstory stand age before disturbance. Wollum and others [289]
found that, in stands that were harvested and burned before the stand age reached
100 years, snowbrush ceanothus nodulation was substantially higher than in
stands over 100 years old. Snowbrush ceanothus generally disappears from stands
as the canopy closes, and the authors speculate that in the absence of a host,
the actinomycetes responsible for nodulation in snowbrush ceanothus also decline
on the site [289].

References:

12. Arno, Stephen F.; Simmerman, Dennis G.; Keane, Robert E. 1986. Characterizing succession within a forest habitat type--an approach designed for resource managers. Res. Note INT-357. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 8 p. [347]
18. Barmore, William J., Jr.; Taylor, Dale; Hayden, Peter. 1976. Ecological effects and biotic succession following the 1974 Waterfalls Canyon Fire in Grand Teton National Park. Research Progress Report 1974-1975. Unpublished report on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 99 p. [16109]
54. Clayton, James L.; Kennedy, Debora A. 1985. Nutrient losses from timber harvest in the Idaho batholith. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 49: 1041-1049. [8197]
78. Demarchi, Dennis A. 1988. Comments from a mid-1970's, southern Rocky Mountain Trench prescribed burning study. In: Feller, M. C.; Thomson, S. M., eds. Wildlife and range prescribed burning workshop proceedings; 1987 October 27-28; Richmond, BC. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia, Faculty of Forestry: 112-119. [3105]
83. Dyrness, C. T. 1965. The effect of logging and slash burning on understory vegetation in the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest. Res. Note PNW-31. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 13 p. [4939]
84. Dyrness, C. T. 1973. Early stages of plant succession following logging and burning in the western Cascades of Oregon. Ecology. 54(1): 57-69. [7345]
101. Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. Vegetation response to helicopter logging and broadcast burning in Douglas-fir habitat types at Silver Creek, central Idaho. Res. Pap. INT-405. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 24 p. [6810]
109. Gratkowski, Henry John. 1962. Heat as a factor in germination of seeds of Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus T. & G. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 122 p. Dissertation. [34941]
110. Green, Pat; Jensen, Mark. 1991. Plant succession within managed grand fir forests of northern Idaho. In: Harvey, Alan E.; Neuenschwander, Leon F., compilers. Proceedings--management and productivity of western-montane forest soils; 1990 April 10-12; Boise, ID. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-280. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 232-236. [15987]
117. Halpern, Charles B.; Franklin, Jerry F. 1989. Understory development in Pseudotsuga forests: multiple paths of succession. In: Ferguson, Dennis E.; Morgan, Penelope; Johnson, Frederic D., compilers. Proceedings--land classifications based on vegetation: applications for resource management; 1987 November 17-19; Moscow, ID. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-257. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 293-297. [6961]
155. Lafferty, Ralph R. 1970. Effect of burn intensities on vegetal composition and canopy-coverage in a selected area of western Montana. Missoula, MT: University of Montana. 81 p. Thesis. [35756]
159. Laursen, Steven B. 1984. Predicting shrub community composition and structure following management disturbance in forest ecosystems of the Intermountain West. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho. 261 p. Dissertation. [6717]
165. Lyon, L. Jack. 1971. Vegetal development following prescribed burning of Douglas-fir in south-central Idaho. Res. Pap. INT-105. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 30 p. [1495]
169. Makela, Paul D. 1990. Effects of prescribed burning on the Burdette Creek winter range. Missoula, MT: University of Montana. 112 p. Thesis. [20681]
194. Morris, William G. 1958. Influence of slash burning on regeneration, other plant cover, and fire hazard in the Douglas-fir region: A progress report. Res. Pap. PNW-29. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 49 p. [4803]
195. Morris, William G. 1970. Effects of slash burning in overmature stands of the Douglas-fir region. Forest Science. 16(3): 258-270. [4810]
198. Mueggler, W. F. 1961. Ecology of seral shrub communities in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Durham, NC: Duke University. 126 p. Thesis. [9981]
199. Mueggler, Walter F. 1965. Ecology of seral shrub communities in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Ecological Monographs. 35: 165-185. [4016]
205. Noste, Nonan V. 1982. Vegetation response to spring and fall burning for wildlife habitat improvement. In: Baumgartner, David M., compiler. Site preparation and fuels management on steep terrain: Proceedings of a symposium; 1982 February 15-17; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 125-132. [1784]
206. Noste, Nonan V. 1985. Influence of fire severity on response of evergreen ceanothus. In: Lotan, James E.; Brown, James K., compilers. Fire's effects on wildlife habitat--symposium proceedings; 1985 March 21; Missoula, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-186. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 91-96. [4119]
207. Noste, Nonan V.; Bushey, Charles L. 1987. Fire response of shrubs of dry forest habitat types in Montana and Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-239. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 22 p. [255]
217. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]
223. Richardson, Nancy. 1980. Species-specific aboveground shrub biomass in seral communities in three habitat types in west central Montana. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory; Final Report. 57 p. [7309]
228. Ruha, T. L. A.; Landsberg, J. D.; Martin, R. E. 1996. Influence of fire on understory shrub vegetation in ponderosa pine stands. In: Barrow, Jerry R.; McArthur, E. Durant; Sosebee, Ronald E.; Tausch, Robin J., compilers. Proceedings: shrubland ecosystem dynamics in a changing environment; 1995 May 23-25; Las Cruces, NM. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-338. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 108-113. [27036]
232. Schoonmaker, Peter; McKee, Arthur. 1988. Species composition and diversity during secondary succession of coniferous forests in the western Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Forest Science. 34(4): 960-979. [6214]
242. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1987. The grand fir/blue huckleberry habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-228. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 66 p. [8133]
244. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-252. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 65 p. [8136]
246. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1990. The Douglas-fir/pinegrass habitat type in central Idaho: Succession and management. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 155 p. Review draft. [15764]
247. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1992. The grand fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-284. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 90 p. [17791]
248. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1993. The Douglas-fir/pinegrass habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-298. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 83 p. [21512]
250. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1995. Major Douglas-fir habitat types of central Idaho: a summary of succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-331. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 23 p. [26587]
251. Steen, Harold K. 1966. Vegetation following slash fires in one western Oregon locality. Northwest Science. 40(3): 113-120. [5671]
264. Thompson, S. M. 1990. The initial response of several forage species to prescribed burning in southeastern British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia. 137 p. Thesis. [27997]
289. Wollum II, A. G.; Youngberg, C. T.; Chichester, F. W. 1968. Relation of previous timber stand age to nodulation of Ceanothus velutinus. Forest Science. 14(2): 115-118. [38401]
295. Young, Richard P. 1983. Fire as a vegetation management tool in rangelands of the Intermountain region. In: Monsen, Stephen B.; Shaw, Nancy, compilers. Managing Intermountain rangelands--improvement of range and wildlife habitats: Proceedings of symposia; 1981 September 15-17; Twin Falls, ID; 1982 June 22-24; Elko, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-157. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 18-31. [2681]
298. Youngberg, C. T.; Wollum, A. G.; Scott, W. 1979. Ceanothus in Douglas-fir clear-cuts: nitrogen accretion and impact on regeneration. In: Gordon, J. C.; Wheeler, C. T.; Perry, D. A., eds. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in the management of temperate forests: Proceedings of a workshop; 1979 April 2-5; Corvallis, OR. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, Forest Research Laboratory: 224-233. [4295]
300. Zamora, Benjamin Abel. 1975. Secondary succession on broadcast-burned clearcuts of the Abies grandis-Pachistima myrsinites habitat type in northcentral Idaho. Pullman, WA: Washington State University. 127 p. Dissertation. [5154]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: density, fire use, litter, prescribed fire, restoration, severity, shrub

Density: Following a prescribed fire in a quaking aspen/mixed conifer stand in Idaho, the
density of snowbrush ceanothus stems was about half of the preburn density, and biomass was
considerably less than preburn levels. Some mortality to snowbrush ceanothus and
the long time needed to grow clumps of large diameter stems, like those that existed
before fire, accounts for its slow recovery [43].

Fire severity: Though some authors
report that snowbrush ceanothus establishment from seed is greatest following
severe burns and lowest following low-severity burns [81,101],
Gratkowksi [109] found that snowbrush ceanothus seedlings were far more
abundant on "lightly" burned sites than on "severely" burned sites. Weatherspoon
[281] found that greater snowbrush ceanothus
seedling development occurred in areas of moderate burn depth or severity than
in either unburned areas or areas of high burn depth. Moderate-severity fire
removes the litter layer, sufficiently scarifying and leaving most snowbrush
ceanothus seeds close enough to the postfire surface to permit emergence. Severe
fire, on the other hand, results in lethal temperatures at a soil depth
where most of the seed bank is located. Though creating a zone of scarification
below that depth, much of the snowbrush ceanothus seed bank is consumed by the
fire, leaving fewer seeds to germinate [281]. Following a prescribed fire in a white fir forest in
California that burned to a depth of 4 inches (10 cm) in the soil, 94% of snowbrush
ceanothus seeds were killed, with no viable seeds remaining above the
1.5-inch (4-cm)
depth [282].

For further information on prescribed fire use and postfire responses of multiple plant species in plant communities with snowbrush ceanothus, see the following Fire Studies:

Lyon's Research Paper,
Initial vegetal development following prescribed burning of Douglas-fir in south-central Idaho
Martin's Research Paper, Shrub control by burning before timber harvest (ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer communties on the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest, Oregon)
Metlen's Research Project Summary,
Vegetation response to restoration treatments in ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir forests of western Montana

References:

43. Brown, James K.; DeByle, Norbert V. 1989. Effects of prescribed fire on biomass and plant succession in western aspen. Res. Pap. INT-412. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 16 p. [9286]
81. Donnelly, Steve. 1993. Spring burning by habitat type in relation to artificial restoration. McCall, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Payette National Forest. 19 p. [27626]
101. Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. Vegetation response to helicopter logging and broadcast burning in Douglas-fir habitat types at Silver Creek, central Idaho. Res. Pap. INT-405. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 24 p. [6810]
109. Gratkowski, Henry John. 1962. Heat as a factor in germination of seeds of Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus T. & G. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 122 p. Dissertation. [34941]
281. Weatherspoon, C. Phillip. 1988. Preharvest prescribed burning for vegetation management: effects on Ceanothus velutinus seeds in duff and soil. In: Proceedings, 9th annual forest vegetation management conference; 1987 November 4-5; Redding, CA. Redding, CA: Forest Vegetation Management Conference: 125-141. [17072]
282. Weatherspoon, C. Phillip. 1990. Pre-harvest prescribed burning for vegetation management. In: Hamilton, Evelyn, compiler. Vegetation management: An integrated approach--Proceedings of the 4th annual vegetation management workshop; 1989 November 14-16; Vancouver, BC. FRDA Report 109. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Forests, Research Branch: 65-66. [10963]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: cover, density, prescribed fire, severity, shrub

Snowbrush ceanothus establishes from seed [63,85,109,288] and sprouts from the
root crown [40,41,59,65,66,81,90,163,213,217,240,256,295] after fire. Postfire
recovery of snowbrush ceanothus can be expected within 2 to 5 years in the
Intermountain region [295]. Snowbrush ceanothus usually increases following
fire, often dramatically [40,41,65,75,90,140,295]. Snowbrush ceanothus seedlings often appear on sites following fire where it was previously
uncommon or not present [75,164,165,167,194,217,223,251,256,269,293].
Following a severe fire in Douglas-fir in Oregon, snowbrush ceanothus seedlings
were found on lightly and
severely burned areas, but they were absent on adjacent, unburned areas [85]. Following fall prescribed burning in a quaking aspen stand in Idaho, biomass of snowbrush
ceanothus increased substantially by sprouting [43].

Seedling Density: A flush of
snowbrush ceanothus seedlings appeared in quaking aspen and quaking aspen/mixed conifer stands
the 1st year after the Idaho prescribed fire. The seedling density decreased substantially by the 2nd
postfire year; a much smaller decrease occurred in subsequent years. The average number of snowbrush ceanothus seedlings/ha in 3 different stands
over 4 postfire years is presented below [43]:

Year after fireStand1234Aspen/mixed conifer26,6009,8003,6006,100Upper-elevation aspen25,50013,1009,00012,300Lower-elevation aspen7,7003,6003,4001,900
In Idaho, Lyon [165] found 4,000 snowbrush ceanothus
seedlings/1,000 ft2 1 year after an August prescribed fire. By the 2nd
postfire year,
over 40% of the seedlings had died, and by the 7th postfire year, only 20% of the original
seedlings were still alive [165]. Seedling densities following fire are
not uniform, and a study in a Douglas-fir stand in Oregon found snowbrush
ceanothus densities ranging from 200 seedlings/ha to 30,000 seedlings/ha [190]. Weatherspoon
[282] reported up to 410,000 snowbrush ceanothus
seedlings/hectare following a moderate-consumption prescribed fire in a
white fir forest in California. In an Oregon Douglas-fir forest, Gratkowski [109] found that although
snowbrush ceanothus seedlings emerged on both logged/unburned and logged/burned
sites, seedlings were far more numerous on burned sites.
Fire Severity: Higher densities of snowbrush ceanothus may be related to increased fire severity
[115,140,239,243]. Dense stands of snowbrush ceanothus often develop following a severe burn, as
seeds stored in the soil are stimulated to germinate [40,41,116,154,163,217,234,240,250]. In northeastern
Oregon, snowbrush ceanothus cover increased from 3% to as much as 32% 5 years
following a severe burn [140]. Snowbrush ceanothus may
dominate a site within 2 to 11 years [41,43,75,239,253,254].
Following a severe fire in a western larch-Douglas-fir forest in western Montana,
snowbrush ceanothus formed a nearly closed shrub layer with 94% cover by the
13th postfire year [254,257]. Another severe fire in
a Douglas-fir forest in Washington resulted in 10% snowbrush ceanothus cover by
the 4th postfire year, increasing from 1% prior to the fire [266].
Height Growth: Snowbrush ceanothus height growth
after fire is variable and may increase with the severity of the burn [101].
Snowbrush ceanothus seedlings can be expected to grow 3 to 5
feet tall within 3 postfire years in the Payette National Forest, Idaho [81]. Following a prescribed burn
in Idaho, snowbrush ceanothus plants reached 2.4 feet tall by 7 postfire years [165]. However, on another site in Idaho, snowbrush ceanothus
plants were only 2.8
inches (7 cm) tall after 1 year and only 2.6 feet (0.8 m) 12 years
following broadcast burning [300].

References:

40. Bradley, Anne F.; Fischer, William C.; Noste, Nonan V. 1992. Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-290. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 92 p. [19557]
41. Bradley, Anne F.; Noste, Nonan V.; Fischer, William C. 1991. Fire ecology of forests and woodlands in Utah. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-287. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 128 p. [18211]
43. Brown, James K.; DeByle, Norbert V. 1989. Effects of prescribed fire on biomass and plant succession in western aspen. Res. Pap. INT-412. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 16 p. [9286]
59. Conard, S. G.; Radosevich, S. R. 1982. Growth responses of white fir to decreased shading and root competition by montane chaparral shrubs. Forest Science. 28(2): 309-320. [35046]
63. Conard, Susan G.; Jaramillo, Annabelle E.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr.; Rose, Sharon, compilers. 1985. The role of the genus Ceanothus in western forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-182. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 72 p. [668]
65. Crane, M. F.; Fischer, William C. 1986. Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of central Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-218. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 85 p. [5297]
66. Crawford, Ralph H.; Carpenter, Steven E.; Mayfield, John; Martin, Robert E. 1987. Fungi from foliage of Arctostaphylos patula, Castanopsis chrysophylla, and Ceanothus velutinus. Res. Note PNW-RN-462. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 6 p. [286]
75. DeByle, Norbert V. 1981. Clearcutting and fire in the larch/Douglas-fir forests of western Montana--a multifaceted research summary. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-99. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 73 p. [7270]
81. Donnelly, Steve. 1993. Spring burning by habitat type in relation to artificial restoration. McCall, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Payette National Forest. 19 p. [27626]
85. Dyrness, C. T. 1976. Effect of wildfire on soil wettability in the high Cascades of Oregon. PNW-202. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 18 p. [8573]
90. Fischer, William C.; Bradley, Anne F. 1987. Fire ecology of western Montana forest habitat types. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-223. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 95 p. [633]
101. Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. Vegetation response to helicopter logging and broadcast burning in Douglas-fir habitat types at Silver Creek, central Idaho. Res. Pap. INT-405. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 24 p. [6810]
109. Gratkowski, Henry John. 1962. Heat as a factor in germination of seeds of Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus T. & G. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 122 p. Dissertation. [34941]
115. Halpern, C. B. 1989. Early successional patterns of forest species: interactions of life history traits and disturbance. Ecology. 70(3): 704-720. [6829]
116. Halpern, Charles B. 1988. Early successional pathways and the resistance and resilience of forest communities. Ecology. 69(6): 1703-1715. [6390]
140. Johnson, Charles Grier, Jr. 1998. Vegetation response after wildfires in national forests of northeastern Oregon. R6-NR-ECOL-TP-06-98. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 128 p. (+ appendices). [30061]
154. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 648 p. [13798]
163. Lotan, James E. 1986. Silvicultural management of competing vegetation. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Boyd, Raymond J.; Breuer, David W.; Miller, Daniel L., compilers/eds. Weed control for forest productivity in the Interior West: Symposium proceedings; 1985 February 5-7; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 9-16. [1474]
164. Lyon, L. Jack. 1966. Initial vegetal development following prescribed burning of Douglas-fir in south-central Idaho. Res. Pap. INT-29. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 17 p. [1494]
165. Lyon, L. Jack. 1971. Vegetal development following prescribed burning of Douglas-fir in south-central Idaho. Res. Pap. INT-105. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 30 p. [1495]
167. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1966. Two forest fires: and some specific implications in big-game management. Proceedings, Annual Conference of Western Association of Game and Fish Commissioners. 46: 181-193. [17169]
190. Monleon, V. J.; Newton, M.; Hooper, C.; Tappeiner, J. C., II. 1999. Ten-year growth response of young Douglas-fir to variable density varnishleaf ceanothus and herb competition. Western Journal of Applied Forestry. 14(4): 208-213. [31113]
194. Morris, William G. 1958. Influence of slash burning on regeneration, other plant cover, and fire hazard in the Douglas-fir region: A progress report. Res. Pap. PNW-29. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 49 p. [4803]
213. Peek, James. 1985. Bighorn sheep responses to fire. The Habitat Express. No. 85-4. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region. 3 p. [5224]
217. Powell, David C. 1994. Effects of the 1980's western spruce budworm outbreak on the Malheur National Forest in northeastern Oregon. Tech. Pub. R6-FI&D-TP-12-94. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Natural Resources Staff, Forest Insects and Diseases Group. 176 p. [29717]
223. Richardson, Nancy. 1980. Species-specific aboveground shrub biomass in seral communities in three habitat types in west central Montana. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory; Final Report. 57 p. [7309]
234. Shearer, Raymond C. 1976. Early establishment of conifers following prescribed broadcast burning in western larch/Douglas-fir forests. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 481-500. [12499]
239. Smith, Jane Kapler; Fischer, William C. 1997. Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of northern Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-363. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 142 p. [27992]
240. Stanton, Frank. 1974. Wildlife guidelines for range fire rehabilitation. Tech. Note 6712. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 90 p. [2221]
243. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The Douglas-fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Preliminary draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 77 p. [8434]
250. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1995. Major Douglas-fir habitat types of central Idaho: a summary of succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-331. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 23 p. [26587]
251. Steen, Harold K. 1966. Vegetation following slash fires in one western Oregon locality. Northwest Science. 40(3): 113-120. [5671]
253. Stickney, Peter F. 1981. Vegetative recovery and development. In: DeByle, Norbert V., ed. Clearcutting and fire in the larch/Douglas-fir forests of western Montana - a multifaceted research summary. Gen, Tech. Rep. INT-99. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 33-37. [34969]
254. Stickney, Peter F. 1982. Initial stages of a natural forest succession following wildfire in the northern Rocky Mountains, a case study. Unpublished report on file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 2 p. [20956]
256. Stickney, Peter F. 1985. Data base for early postfire succession on the Sundance Burn, northern Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-189. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 121 p. [7223]
257. Stickney, Peter F. 1985. Initial stages of a natural forest succession following wildfire in the Northern Rocky Mountains, a case study. In: Lotan, James E.; Kilgore, Bruce M.; Fischer, William C.; Mutch, Robert W., technical coordinators. Proceedings--symposium and workshop on wilderness fire; 1983 November 15-18; Missoula, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-181. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 383-384. [7367]
266. Tiedemann, Arthur R.; Klock, Glen O. 1976. Development of vegetation after fire, seeding, and fertilization on the Entiat Experimental Forest. In: Proceedings, annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1974 October 16-17; Portland, OR. No. 15. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 171-191. [2328]
269. Tonn, Jonalea R.; Jurgensen, Martin F.; Mroz, Glenn D.; Page-Dumroese, Deborah S. 2000. Miller Creek: ecosystem recovery in a western Montana forest 30 years after prescribed burning and wildfire. In: Moser, W. Keith; Moser, Cynthia F., eds. Fire and forest ecology: innovative silviculture and vegetation management: Proceedings of the 21st Tall Timbers fire ecology conference: an international symposium; 1998 April 14-16; Tallahassee, FL. No. 21. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research, Inc: 67-73. [37612]
282. Weatherspoon, C. Phillip. 1990. Pre-harvest prescribed burning for vegetation management. In: Hamilton, Evelyn, compiler. Vegetation management: An integrated approach--Proceedings of the 4th annual vegetation management workshop; 1989 November 14-16; Vancouver, BC. FRDA Report 109. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Forests, Research Branch: 65-66. [10963]
288. Wittinger, W. T.; Pengelly, W. L.; Irwin, L. L.; Peek, J. M. 1977. A 20-year record of shrub succession in logged areas in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Northwest Science. 51(3): 161-171. [6828]
293. Youds, John A.; Hebert, Daryll M. 1988. Prescribed burning for wildlife in the Cariboo. In: Feller, M. C.; Thomson, S. M., eds. Wildlife and range prescribed burning workshop proceedings; 1987 October 27-28; Richmond, BC. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia, Faculty of Forestry: 73-83. [3102]
295. Young, Richard P. 1983. Fire as a vegetation management tool in rangelands of the Intermountain region. In: Monsen, Stephen B.; Shaw, Nancy, compilers. Managing Intermountain rangelands--improvement of range and wildlife habitats: Proceedings of symposia; 1981 September 15-17; Twin Falls, ID; 1982 June 22-24; Elko, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-157. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 18-31. [2681]
300. Zamora, Benjamin Abel. 1975. Secondary succession on broadcast-burned clearcuts of the Abies grandis-Pachistima myrsinites habitat type in northcentral Idaho. Pullman, WA: Washington State University. 127 p. Dissertation. [5154]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Immediate Effect of Fire

Snowbrush ceanothus is top-killed by fire [228].

References:

228. Ruha, T. L. A.; Landsberg, J. D.; Martin, R. E. 1996. Influence of fire on understory shrub vegetation in ponderosa pine stands. In: Barrow, Jerry R.; McArthur, E. Durant; Sosebee, Ronald E.; Tausch, Robin J., compilers. Proceedings: shrubland ecosystem dynamics in a changing environment; 1995 May 23-25; Las Cruces, NM. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-338. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 108-113. [27036]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Post-fire Regeneration

More info for the terms: adventitious, shrub

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [258]:

Small shrub, adventitious bud/root crown

Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

References:

258. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 10 p. [20090]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Fire Ecology

More info for the terms: fuel, fuel loading, root crown, shrub

Fuels Contribution: Snowbrush ceanothus burns "quite hot" [2]. The foliage contains volatile oils
that may contribute to fire
hazard [284]. Percentage of solvent extractives
(waxes, oils, terpenes, and fats) by dry weight found in snowbrush ceanothus fuel is
as follows [64]:

FoliageWoody fuel (diameter in inches) < 0.250.26-0.500.51-1.00> 1.0018.36.04.23.32.6
The foliage extractive heating value for snowbrush ceanothus
has been reported at 11,942 Btu per pound [64]. Richards [222]
found that the potential rate of spread through snowbrush ceanothus can be
expected to increase as the growing season progresses from June 20 to September
10. This expectation is based on an increase in caloric content (from 1,400-2,400 calories/gram) and a decrease in the water content (from 68% to 53%) of
green vegetation.
The
following table presents information on snowbrush ceanothus fuel loading; the
data is based on single-species plots and presented by fuel category [64]:
LoadFoliageWoody fuel (diameter in inches)< 0.250.26-0.500.51-1.00> 1.00Tons/acrePercentPlot 140.915.524.421.149.0--Plot 238.513.118.930.536.511.8Plot 322.456.025.333.735.0--
Fire Adaptations: Snowbrush
ceanothus has dormant, ground-stored seed that requires heat treatment to
germinate [109,148,168,236]. Snowbrush ceanothus is promoted by fire,
regenerating from seed stimulated by fire [63,143,163,201,228]. Where its seeds are present in
the soil, snowbrush ceanothus may dominate early seral growth following a
"medium or hot" fire [12]. Snowbrush ceanothus also sprouts vigorously
from the root crown after fire
[201,228,236]. Resprouting may be an adaptation to recurring
fires, allowing for rapid growth and recovery [201]. Fire creates conditions more favorable
for snowbrush ceanothus growth by removing the overstory [109]. Snowbrush
ceanothus shows a marked increase in burned forest areas
due to heat scarification of seed, sprouting, and increased light [109,119]. When conifers overtop the shrubfields, snowbrush
ceanothus may die out because of reduced light intensities in the forest
understory [119,120].

As a nitrogen fixer, snowbrush ceanothus plays an
important role in nitrogen reaccumulation following fire [143].
Early
seral shrub layers dominated by snowbrush ceanothus form in grand fir/big
huckleberry [242], grand fir/Rocky Mountain maple [245,247],
Douglas-fir/ninebark
[244], Douglas-fir/pinegrass [246,248], Douglas-fir/white spirea [249], and Douglas-fir/Rocky Mountain maple [244] habitat types in
response to fire. Dry weather patterns following canopy removal and repeated
severe fires are likely to produce persistent seral shrubfields [239,304]. In the northern
Rocky Mountains, pure stands of snowbrush ceanothus may form on the
south-facing slopes of these shrubfields [239].
FIRE REGIMES: Fire
regimes for plant communities and ecosystems in which snowbrush ceanothus occurs
are listed below. For further information regarding FIRE REGIMES and fire ecology
of communities and ecosystems where snowbrush ceanothus is found, see the 'Fire
Ecology and Adaptations' section of the FEIS species summary for the plant
community or ecosystem dominants listed below.
Community or EcosystemDominant Species Fire Return Interval Range (years)silver fir-Douglas-firAbies amabilis-Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii > 200 grand firAbies grandis 35-200 [9]California chaparralAdenostoma and/or Arctostaphylos spp.
sagebrush steppeArtemisia tridentata/Pseudoroegneria spicata 20-70 [211]basin big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata var. tridentata 12-43 [230]mountain big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata var. vaseyana 15-40 [10,46,188]Wyoming big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata var. wyomingensis 10-70 (40**) [274,294]California montane chaparralCeanothus and/or Arctostaphylos spp. 50-100 [211]curlleaf mountain-mahogany*Cercocarpus ledifolius 13-1000 [13,233]mountain-mahogany-Gambel oak scrubCercocarpus ledifolius-Quercus gambelii
western juniperJuniperus occidentalis 20-70 Rocky Mountain juniperJuniperus scopulorum
western larchLarix occidentalis 25-100Engelmann spruce-subalpine firPicea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa 35 to > 200 blue spruce*Picea pungens 35-200 pinyon-juniperPinus-Juniperus spp. 211]Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine*Pinus contorta var. latifolia 25-300+ [8,9,227]Sierra lodgepole pine*Pinus contorta var. murrayana 35-200 [9]Colorado pinyonPinus edulis 10-49 [211]Jeffrey pinePinus jeffreyi 5-30 western white pine*Pinus monticola 50-200 Pacific ponderosa pine*Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa 1-47interior ponderosa pine*Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum 2-10 [9]quaking aspen (west of the Great Plains)Populus tremuloides 7-120 [9,112,183]Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir*Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca 25-100 [9]coastal Douglas-fir*Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii 40-240 [9,196,224]California mixed evergreenPseudotsuga menziesii var. m.-Lithocarpus densiflorus-Arbutus
menziesii
California oakwoodsQuercus spp.
canyon live oakQuercus chrysolepis
blue oak-foothills pineQuercus douglasii-Pinus sabiniana
Oregon white oakQuercus garryana 9]California black oakQuercus kelloggii 5-30 [211] redwoodSequoia sempervirens 5-200 [9,89,260]western redcedar-western hemlockThuja plicata-Tsuga heterophylla > 200 western hemlock-Sitka spruceTsuga heterophylla-Picea sitchensis > 200 mountain hemlock*Tsuga mertensiana 35 to > 200 [9]

*fire return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the species summary

**mean

References:

9. Arno, Stephen F. 2000. Fire in western forest ecosystems. In: Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 97-120. [36984]
8. Arno, Stephen F. 1980. Forest fire history in the Northern Rockies. Journal of Forestry. 78(8): 460-465. [11990]
10. Arno, Stephen F.; Gruell, George E. 1983. Fire history at the forest-grassland ecotone in southwestern Montana. Journal of Range Management. 36(3): 332-336. [342]
12. Arno, Stephen F.; Simmerman, Dennis G.; Keane, Robert E. 1986. Characterizing succession within a forest habitat type--an approach designed for resource managers. Res. Note INT-357. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 8 p. [347]
13. Arno, Stephen F.; Wilson, Andrew E. 1986. Dating past fires in curlleaf mountain-mahogany communities. Journal of Range Management. 39(3): 241-243. [350]
46. Burkhardt, Wayne J.; Tisdale, E. W. 1976. Causes of juniper invasion in southwestern Idaho. Ecology. 57: 472-484. [565]
63. Conard, Susan G.; Jaramillo, Annabelle E.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr.; Rose, Sharon, compilers. 1985. The role of the genus Ceanothus in western forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-182. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 72 p. [668]
64. Countryman, Clive M. 1982. Physical characteristics of some northern California brush fuels. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-61. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 8 p. [4177]
89. Finney, Mark A.; Martin, Robert E. 1989. Fire history in a Sequoia sempervirens forest at Salt Point State Park, California. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 19: 1451-1457. [9845]
109. Gratkowski, Henry John. 1962. Heat as a factor in germination of seeds of Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus T. & G. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 122 p. Dissertation. [34941]
112. Gruell, G. E.; Loope, L. L. 1974. Relationships among aspen, fire, and ungulate browsing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Lakewood, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Region. 33 p. In cooperation with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region. [3862]
119. Hanes, Ted L. 1977. California chaparral. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of California. New York: John Wiley and Sons: 417-469. [7216]
120. Hann, Wendel J. 1986. Evaluation of site preparation and conifer release treatments in north Idaho shrubfields. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Boyd, Raymond J.; Breuer, David W.; Miller, Daniel L., compilers and eds. Weed control for forest productivity in the Interior West: Symposium proceedings; 1985 February 5-7; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 115-119. [1074]
143. Kauffman, J. B.; Sapsis, D. B. 1989. The natural role of fire in Oregon's high desert. In: Oregon's high desert: the last 100 years. Special Report 841. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, Agricultural Experiment Station: 15-19. In cooperation with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. [15514]
148. Kramer, Neal B. 1984. Mature forest seed banks on three habitat types in central Idaho. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho. 106 p. Thesis. [1375]
163. Lotan, James E. 1986. Silvicultural management of competing vegetation. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Boyd, Raymond J.; Breuer, David W.; Miller, Daniel L., compilers/eds. Weed control for forest productivity in the Interior West: Symposium proceedings; 1985 February 5-7; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 9-16. [1474]
168. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
183. Meinecke, E. P. 1929. Quaking aspen: A study in applied forest pathology. Tech. Bull. No. 155. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 34 p. [26669]
188. Miller, Richard F.; Rose, Jeffery A. 1995. Historic expansion of Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper) in southeastern Oregon. The Great Basin Naturalist. 55(1): 37-45. [26637]
196. Morrison, Peter H.; Swanson, Frederick J. 1990. Fire history and pattern in a Cascade Range landscape. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-254. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 77 p. [13074]
201. Neuenschwander, L. F. 1978. The fire induced autecology of selected shrubs of the cold desert and surrounding forests: A-state-of-the-art review. Unpublished manuscript on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 31 p. [1747]
222. Richards, Leon W. 1940. Effect of certain chemical attributes of vegetation in forest inflammability. Journal of Agricultural Research. 60(12): 833-838. [1972]
224. Ripple, William J. 1994. Historic spatial patterns of old forests in western Oregon. Journal of Forestry. 92(11): 45-49. [33881]
227. Romme, William H. 1982. Fire and landscape diversity in subalpine forests of Yellowstone National Park. Ecological Monographs. 52(2): 199-221. [9696]
228. Ruha, T. L. A.; Landsberg, J. D.; Martin, R. E. 1996. Influence of fire on understory shrub vegetation in ponderosa pine stands. In: Barrow, Jerry R.; McArthur, E. Durant; Sosebee, Ronald E.; Tausch, Robin J., compilers. Proceedings: shrubland ecosystem dynamics in a changing environment; 1995 May 23-25; Las Cruces, NM. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-338. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 108-113. [27036]
230. Sapsis, David B. 1990. Ecological effects of spring and fall prescribed burning on basin big sagebrush/Idaho fescue--bluebunch wheatgrass communities. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 105 p. Thesis. [16579]
233. Schultz, Brad W. 1987. Ecology of curlleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) in western and central Nevada: population structure and dynamics. Reno, NV: University of Nevada. 111 p. Thesis. [7064]
236. Shiplett, Brian; Neuenschwander, Leon F. 1994. Fire ecology in the cedar-hemlock zone of North Idaho. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Lotan, James E.; Tonn, Jonalea R., compiler. Interior cedar-hemlock-white pine forests: ecology and management: Symposium proceedings; 1993 March 2-4; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Department of Natural Resources: 41-51. [25789]
239. Smith, Jane Kapler; Fischer, William C. 1997. Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of northern Idaho. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-363. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 142 p. [27992]
242. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1987. The grand fir/blue huckleberry habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-228. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 66 p. [8133]
244. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-252. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 65 p. [8136]
245. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The grand fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Review draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 148 p. [8435]
246. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1990. The Douglas-fir/pinegrass habitat type in central Idaho: Succession and management. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 155 p. Review draft. [15764]
247. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1992. The grand fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-284. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 90 p. [17791]
248. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1993. The Douglas-fir/pinegrass habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-298. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 83 p. [21512]
249. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1994. The Douglas-fir/white spirea habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-305. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 81 p. [23481]
260. Stuart, John D. 1987. Fire history of an old-growth forest of Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae) forest in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California. Madrono. 34(2): 128-141. [7277]
274. Vincent, Dwain W. 1992. The sagebrush/grasslands of the upper Rio Puerco area, New Mexico. Rangelands. 14(5): 268-271. [19698]
284. Weber, William A. 1987. Colorado flora: western slope. Boulder, CO: Colorado Associated University Press. 530 p. [7706]
294. Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A. 1981. Demography and fire history of a western juniper stand. Journal of Range Management. 34(6): 501-505. [2659]
304. Ziemer, R. R. 1981. Roots and the stability of forested slopes. In: Proceedings of the symposium on erosion and sediment transport in Pacific Rim steeplands; 1981 January 25-31; Christchurch, New Zealand. IAHO Publication No. 132. Washington, DC: International Association of Hydrological Sciences: 343-361. [39481]
2. Agee, James K. 1996. The influence of forest structure on fire behavior. In: Proceedings, 17th annual forest vegetation management conference; 1996 January 16-18; Redding, CA. Redding, CA:[Publisher unknown]: 52-68. [27641]
211. Paysen, Timothy E.; Ansley, R. James; Brown, James K.; [and others]. 2000. Fire in western shrubland, woodland, and grassland ecosystems. In: Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-volume 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 121-159. [36978]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

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Successional Status

More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: climax, cover, fire interval, mean fire interval, phase, shrub, shrubs, succession, tree

Snowbrush ceanothus has been described as moderately shade tolerant [121] to very intolerant
[11,60,163,242]: It grows on open, sunny sites [70,127,132,136,154,176,209,240]
and in wooded areas [82,127,135,176]. Though snowbrush ceanothus occurs as an
understory species [124,173,198,249,278,286,293], it is soon shaded out
with increasing development of tree cover [11,63,154,163,182,199,242,249,300]. Snowbrush ceanothus occurs on both undisturbed and disturbed sites, with
snowbrush ceanothus canopy cover [19,63,95,182,198] and occurrence [23,136] increasing under more open site conditions.
Under patchy tree canopies, snowbrush ceanothus may persist for 40 years or more
after trees establish [249].

Snowbrush ceanothus is an early to mid-seral species
[7,60,63,75,85,116,150,242,244,245,249,255,288]. It invades recently disturbed sites
[1,58,63,68,74,99,118,121,292], particularly burned
sites [52,75,85,116,140,240]. Snowbrush ceanothus is essentially absent in mature seral and old-growth stages, often becoming a stand component after fire [11,223,288].
In several Douglas-fir habitat types [11,91,102,256,304] and in ponderosa pine habitat
types [6,272], snowbrush
ceanothus is common in early seral stages (within 1-7 years) following
disturbance. The Douglas-fir-snowbrush ceanothus community type is characteristic of
habitats that have been recently (within the last 100 years) and
repeatedly burned [93]. Snowbrush ceanothus also occurs in dense stands of montane chaparral following major disturbance
[14], though it may be eliminated from the chaparral after 40 years [301]. For
further information on postfire succession of snowbrush ceanothus, see
"Plant Response to Fire" in the "Fire Effects" section of
this summary.

Snowbrush ceanothus can be described as a seral dominant, becoming common
after major disturbances, especially fire [12,18,148,162,163,194,229]. Seral shrubfields, of which
snowbrush ceanothus is a major component, result from repeated disturbance
[21,57,71,71,103,137,170,172,208]. Snowbrush ceanothus may dominate this seral vegetation [57,63,68,104,120,125,168,172,182,237,299,304] and retard succession
[63,104].

Douglas-fir: Snowbrush ceanothus is generally considered an important early to
mid-seral species in most Douglas-fir forests of the northern Rockies and
Pacific Northwest. However, in some locations Douglas-fir forests are
sufficiently open to allow snowbrush ceanothus to become a persistent, if not
permanent, member of the community. It occurs as a climax dominant in some
open Douglas-fir forests of southwestern Oregon and in eastern Montana habitat
types on decomposed granitic substrates [63]. In Douglas-fir
forests of the western Cascades, snowbrush ceanothus generally dominates the
middle or tall shrub phase of succession from years 5 through 10 [115]. Here it
replaces initial weedy annual, biennial, and short-statured perennial invaders
[116]. Snowbrush ceanothus typically competes effectively with fireweed (Epilobium
angustifolium) by postfire year 6 and can become dominant by year 9 [94].
Earlier increases in snowbrush ceanothus have also been noted, with this shrub
dominating some shrubfields as soon as 4 or 5 growing seasons after fire [83].
Snowbrush ceanothus generally persists for 20 to 40 years in the Cascades [63],
although some stands may become decadent 10 to 15 years after disturbance
[63,301]. Stands 40 or more years of age generally have only scattered dead
shrubs [301]. South slopes offer the greatest potential for development of
snowbrush ceanothus-dominated brushfields in these Douglas-fir types [206].
Shrubs decline rapidly as shade levels increase, and in parts of the northern
Rockies, shrubs may become senescent by year 10 [301].

Western hemlock-western redcedar: Snowbrush ceanothus can dominate western
hemlock-western redcedar-grand fir forests of the northern Rockies within 2 or 3
years after fire [157]. Snowbrush ceanothus cover
typically declines rapidly in western hemlock-western redcedar forests of
northern Idaho [159,199].

Grand fir: Snowbrush ceanothus is an important component of the initial shrub
sere that following disturbance in grand fir habitat types
and can become established by the 1st year after disturbance [300]. In
north-central Idaho, it is particularly abundant on north slopes at higher
elevations and can become a dominant shrubfield species by year 12 [299]. These
shrubfields decline rapidly as shade increases. However, long-lived snowbrush
ceanothus communities are prevalent on rocky outcrops in grand fir forests of
Oregon and Washington [92].

Ponderosa pine: Snowbrush ceanothus assumes a dual successional role in
ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the Northwest. Where forests are
relatively open, it can grow as a long-lived seral shrub or climax dominant, but
where densely forested stands develop, snowbrush ceanothus declines rapidly as it is
overtopped. Snowbrush ceanothus and bitterbrush occur as understory dominants in open ponderosa pine forests of south-central Oregon [92]. In
an Oregon ponderosa pine-white fir forest, snowbrush ceanothus was only dominant
on sites where the mean fire interval was 15 years or less over the past 250
years, and it was almost absent where the interval was greater than 20 years [181,182].
Snowbrush
ceanothus also grows as a climax species in some open ponderosa pine woodlands
on the east side of the Cascades [63].

In mixed-conifer forests of Oregon, snowbrush ceanothus and other tall shrubs become dominant within 14
years after timber harvest but begin to decline within 20 years [150].

References:

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Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Regeneration Processes

More info for the terms: density, duff, layering, root crown, top-kill

Snowbrush ceanothus spreads by seed and vegetatively by sprouting and layering
[31,121].

Breeding system: No information

Pollination: No information

Seed production: Snowbrush ceanothus produces abundant seed crops [240].
It 1st produces seed at about 3 to 6 years of age [63,263], and continues producing until past age 20 [263]. Sprouts can produce
prolific seed crops 8 years after top-kill [63]. Snowbrush
ceanothus in
Oregon produced up to 100,000 seeds per acre (250,000 seeds/hectare) [109].

Seed dispersal: When Ceanothus seeds
ripen, they are forcibly ejected from the pods [63,144]. The heavy snowbrush ceanothus seeds generally stay
where they fall, gradually filtering into the duff and soil unless they are
carried off by small animals [63,75,144,149,243,271,295].

Seed banking: Snowbrush ceanothus seed is stored in the soil [40,148,154] for
up to 200 years [154], and can regenerate from seed stored in the soil
for up to "several centuries" [21,63,91,109,143].
In British Columbia, germination of soil-stored seed occurred following
fire on sites where snowbrush ceanothus had been excluded at least 200 years [293]. Counts made on tree
stumps indicated that the intermission between
2 generations of snowbrush ceanothus might be as long as 575 years [301,303]. Snowbrush ceanothus contributed 25% of the seeds found in soil samples taken
from central Idaho Douglas-fir and grand fir habitat types [149]. Snowbrush ceanothus seeds are less
successfully stored in wet soils [245].

Germination: Snowbrush ceanothus has a very hard,
impermeable seedcoat that must be cracked, abraded, or exposed to heat in order for
germination to occur [79,109,123,144,148,163,197,293,303].
Though exposure to heat is most effective in promoting germination, other
disturbance (e.g. timber harvest) may stimulate snowbrush ceanothus germination
by abrading the seedcoat [303]. Germination is improved by stratification
[109,197]. Heating
or breaking the seed coat allows the seeds to imbibe water and swell, but
germination is unlikely if seeds are not exposed to cold stratification [109,123,144,197,218,219]. The mechanism for fire-induced germination in snowbrush ceanothus is a heat-induced,
irreversible cracking of the hylar fissure in the seedcoat, which
allows water to enter the seed and physiological processes to begin [22,109]. Temperatures of
176 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit (80-95 oC) are optimal to break the
seedcoat [109,163]. Snowbrush ceanothus seeds may also germinate
without high temperatures (e.g. on unburned sites), but snowbrush ceanothus
stands develop more rapidly and more completely
following heat exposure (burned sites) [63,109,288]. In a study conducted in Douglas-fir and grand fir habitat types, snowbrush ceanothus seeds found
in the soil were 91% viable [148].

Seedling establishment/growth: Although large
numbers of seeds typically germinate after fire, snowbrush ceanothus may
experience high early mortality [63].
In general, snowbrush ceanothus is a slow-growing species [301,303]. Height growth of seedlings
is slow for 3-5 years and then is rapid until about 10 years when it begins to
level off [63,189]. Zavitovski
[303] found that after 5 years, snowbrush
ceanothus may be less than 3 feet (1 m) tall, but doubles its height in the next 5 years. Then height growth slows, gaining only 1.5 feet (0.5 m) in the following 5 years
[303]. A typical snowbrush ceanothus stand in Oregon or
California reaches 2 to 8 feet after 10 years; stand height may sometimes
decrease between age 15 and 50 as older stems die back [63].

Asexual regeneration: Snowbrush ceanothus sprouts from the root crown [138,139] following damage to stems
and/or top removal [30,31,63,121,162,178,238]. Sprout growth of 20 to 25 inches
(51-65 cm) after 1 year, and growth of 3 to 7 feet (1.0-2.1 m) after 5 years has been
observed. The ability to sprout may be a function of age and
vigor of the plant when it is damaged. In 1 Cascade Range study, the percentage
of sprouting plants decreased from 100% for 5-year-old plants to 50% for
11-year-old plants [63]. However, vigorous
sprouting followed the cutting of 35- to 50-year-old snowbrush ceanothus in the Sierra
Nevada [59,63].
Snowbrush ceanothus may increase in density by layering.
Layering results when stems are forced close to the ground, bringing them in
contact with the soil and allowing the branches to root [31].

References:

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59. Conard, S. G.; Radosevich, S. R. 1982. Growth responses of white fir to decreased shading and root competition by montane chaparral shrubs. Forest Science. 28(2): 309-320. [35046]
63. Conard, Susan G.; Jaramillo, Annabelle E.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr.; Rose, Sharon, compilers. 1985. The role of the genus Ceanothus in western forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-182. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 72 p. [668]
75. DeByle, Norbert V. 1981. Clearcutting and fire in the larch/Douglas-fir forests of western Montana--a multifaceted research summary. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-99. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 73 p. [7270]
79. Dietz, Donald R.; Uresk, Daniel W.; Messner, Harold E.; McEwen, Lowell C. 1980. Establishment, survival, and growth of selected browse species in a ponderosa pine forest. Res. Pap. RM-219. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 11 p. [3471]
91. Franklin, Jerry F. 1988. Pacific Northwest forests. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Billings, William Dwight, eds. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press: 103-130. [13879]
109. Gratkowski, Henry John. 1962. Heat as a factor in germination of seeds of Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus T. & G. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 122 p. Dissertation. [34941]
121. Hardy BBT Limited. 1989. Manual of plant species suitability for reclamation in Alberta. 2d ed. Report No. RRTAC 89-4. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Land Conservation and Reclamation Council. 436 p. [15460]
123. Heit, C. E. 1967. Propagation from seed. Part 7: Germinating six hardseeded groups. American Nurseryman. 125(12): 10-12; 37-41; 44-45. [1120]
138. James, Susanne Marie. 1983. Lignotubers and vegetative regeneration of Arctostaphylos in the California chaparral--anatomy , morphology and ecological significance. Riverside, CA: University of California. 133 p. Dissertation. [12197]
139. James, Susanne. 1984. Lignotubers and burls--their structure, function and ecological significance in Mediterranean ecosystems. Botanical Review. 50(3): 225-266. [5590]
143. Kauffman, J. B.; Sapsis, D. B. 1989. The natural role of fire in Oregon's high desert. In: Oregon's high desert: the last 100 years. Special Report 841. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, Agricultural Experiment Station: 15-19. In cooperation with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. [15514]
144. Keeley, Jon E. 1991. Seed germination and life history syndromes in the California chaparral. The Botanical Review. 57(2): 81-116. [36973]
148. Kramer, Neal B. 1984. Mature forest seed banks on three habitat types in central Idaho. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho. 106 p. Thesis. [1375]
149. Kramer, Neal B.; Johnson, Frederic D. 1987. Mature forest seed banks of three habitat types in central Idaho. Canadian Journal of Botany. 65: 1961-1966. [3961]
154. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 648 p. [13798]
162. Lewis, Mont E. 1971. Flora and major plant communities of the Ruby-East Humboldt Mountains with special emphasis on Lamoille Canyon. Elko, NV: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 4, Humboldt National Forest. 62 p. [1450]
163. Lotan, James E. 1986. Silvicultural management of competing vegetation. In: Baumgartner, David M.; Boyd, Raymond J.; Breuer, David W.; Miller, Daniel L., compilers/eds. Weed control for forest productivity in the Interior West: Symposium proceedings; 1985 February 5-7; Spokane, WA. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Cooperative Extension: 9-16. [1474]
178. McDonald, Philip M.; Fiddler, Gary O. 1995. Development of a mixed shrub - ponderosa pine community in a natural and treated condition. Res. Pap. PSW-RP-224. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 18 p. [34998]
189. Minore, Don; Means, Joseph E.; Cunningham, Patrick G.; Weatherly, Howard G. 1991. Growth patterns of deerbrush and snowbrush as functions of age and shrub vigor. Forest Science. 37(4): 1140-1149. [17713]
197. Mozingo, Hugh N. 1987. Shrubs of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 342 p. [1702]
218. Quick, Clarence R. 1935. Notes on the germination of ceanothus seeds. Madrono. 3: 135-140. [4135]
219. Quick, Clarence R.; Quick, Alice S. 1961. Germination of ceanothus seeds. Madrono. 16: 23-30. [4134]
238. Skau, C. M.; Meeuwig, R. O.; Townsend, T. W. 1970. Ecology of eastside Sierra chaparral: A literature review. R71. Reno, NV: University of Nevada, Max C. Fleischmann College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. 14 p. [3798]
240. Stanton, Frank. 1974. Wildlife guidelines for range fire rehabilitation. Tech. Note 6712. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 90 p. [2221]
243. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The Douglas-fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Preliminary draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 77 p. [8434]
245. Steele, Robert; Geier-Hayes, Kathleen. 1989. The grand fir/mountain maple habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management. Review draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 148 p. [8435]
271. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 1976. Some important native shrubs of the west. Ogden, UT. 16 p. [2388]
288. Wittinger, W. T.; Pengelly, W. L.; Irwin, L. L.; Peek, J. M. 1977. A 20-year record of shrub succession in logged areas in the cedar-hemlock zone of northern Idaho. Northwest Science. 51(3): 161-171. [6828]
293. Youds, John A.; Hebert, Daryll M. 1988. Prescribed burning for wildlife in the Cariboo. In: Feller, M. C.; Thomson, S. M., eds. Wildlife and range prescribed burning workshop proceedings; 1987 October 27-28; Richmond, BC. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia, Faculty of Forestry: 73-83. [3102]
295. Young, Richard P. 1983. Fire as a vegetation management tool in rangelands of the Intermountain region. In: Monsen, Stephen B.; Shaw, Nancy, compilers. Managing Intermountain rangelands--improvement of range and wildlife habitats: Proceedings of symposia; 1981 September 15-17; Twin Falls, ID; 1982 June 22-24; Elko, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-157. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 18-31. [2681]
301. Zavitkovski, J.; Newton, M. 1968. Ecological importance of snowbrush Ceanothus velutinus in the Oregon Cascades. Ecology. 49(6): 1134-1145. [4118]
303. Zavitkovski, Jaroslav. 1966. Snowbrush, Ceanothus velutinus Dougl., its ecology and role in forest regeneration in the Oregon Cascades. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 102 p. Dissertation. [35485]
263. Tappeiner, John C., II; McDonald, Philip M.; Newton, Michael; Harrington, Timothy B. 1992. Ecology of hardwoods, shrubs, and herbaceous vegetation: effects on conifer regeneration. In: Hobbs, Stephen D.; Tesch, Steven D.; Owston, Peyton W.; [and others], eds. Reforestation practices in southwestern Oregon and northern California. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, Forest Research Laboratory: 136-164. [22157]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: geophyte, phanerophyte

RAUNKIAER [220] LIFE FORM:

Phanerophyte

Geophyte

References:

220. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Life Form

More info for the term: shrub

Shrub

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Cyclicity

Phenology

More info on this topic.

Snowbrush ceanothus seeds germinate in the spring [144]. Leaf buds of snowbrush
ceanothus break from mid-April to early June, and leaves
continue growth until early July [225,231]. Flowering begins in May or June and ends as late as September
[80,225,231].
Snowbrush ceanothus blooms sporadically at higher elevations, but at lower
elevations and in warmer climates, blooms can be expected from May to June [37].
Fruit
ripens from late June to early August, and seed fall starts in August [225,231,240].

References:

37. Borland, Jim. 1988. Ceanothus velutinus. American Nurseryman. 168(9): 154. [35445]
80. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
144. Keeley, Jon E. 1991. Seed germination and life history syndromes in the California chaparral. The Botanical Review. 57(2): 81-116. [36973]
225. Roach, A. W. 1952. Phytosociology of the Nash Crater lava flows, Linn County, Oregon. Ecological Monographs. 22: 169-193. [8759]
231. Schmidt, Wyman C.; Lotan, James E. 1980. Phenology of common forest flora of the northern Rockies--1928 to 1937. Res. Pap. INT-259. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 20 p. [2082]
240. Stanton, Frank. 1974. Wildlife guidelines for range fire rehabilitation. Tech. Note 6712. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 90 p. [2221]

Source:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Molecular Biology

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Ceanothus velutinus

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Source:

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

License:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Rights Holder:

Barcode of Life Data Systems

Conservation Status

National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Source:

NatureServe

License:

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Rights Holder:

NatureServe

NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Source:

NatureServe

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

NatureServe Explorer

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.151235

Classification

Other Global Common Names:

Snowbrush Ceanothus - Tobacco-brush - snowbrush ceanothus

Synonyms:

Taxonomy:

Informal Taxonomy:

Plants, Vascular - Flowering Plants - Buckthorn Family

Formal Taxonomy:

Plantae - Anthophyta - Dicotyledoneae - Rhamnales - Rhamnaceae - Ceanothus

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description:

Description:

Habitat Type Description:

Migration:

Non-migrant:

Locally Migrant:

Food Comments:

Phenologies:

Reproduction Comments:

Ecology Comments:

Length:

Unit of Length:

Weight:

Unit of Weight:

Conservation Status

NatureServe Conservation Status:

NatureServe Global Status Rank:

Global Status Last Reviewed:

1988-05-16

Global Status Last Changed:

1988-05-16

Other Status:

Distribution

Conservation Status Map:

Global Range:

Global Range Description:

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Abarenicola claparedi - (Rough-skinned lugworm)
Abarenicola pacifica - (Pacific lugworm)
Abarenicola sp.
Abies amabilis - (Pacific Silver Fir)
Abies concolor - (White Fir)
Abies grandis - (Grand Fir)
Abies lasiocarpa - (Subalpine Fir)
Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa - (Subalpine Fir)
Abies procera - (Noble Fir)
Abietinaria sp

Ceanothus velutinus

Tobacco Ceanothus

Data Sources

Table of Contents

Distribution

Distribution

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

Occurrence in North America

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

National Distribution

Canada

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Morphology

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Habitat

Habitat characteristics

Key Plant Community Associations

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Habitat: Ecosystem

General Ecology

Fire Management Considerations

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

Plant Response to Fire

Immediate Effect of Fire

Post-fire Regeneration

Fire Ecology

Successional Status

Regeneration Processes

Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

Life Form

Cyclicity

Phenology

Molecular Biology

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Ceanothus velutinus

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