Oak bark allometry and fire survival strategies in the Chihuahuan desert Sky Islands, Texas, USA.

ABSTRACT: Trees may survive fire through persistence of above or below ground structures. Investment in bark aids in above-ground survival while investment in carbohydrate storage aids in recovery through resprouting and is especially important following above-ground tissue loss. We investigated bark allocation and carbohydrate investment in eight common oak (Quercus) species of Sky Island mountain ranges in west Texas. We hypothesized that relative investment in bark and carbohydrates changes with tree age and with fire regime: We predicted delayed investment in bark (positive allometry) and early investment in carbohydrates (negative allometry) under lower frequency, high severity fire regimes found in wetter microclimates. Common oaks of the Texas Trans-Pecos region (Quercus emoryi, Q. gambelii,

SUBMITTER: Schwilk DW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3828380 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature