Postfire Succession in Californian Coastal Sage Scrub: The Role of Continual Basal Sprouting

Abstract

Dominant shrub species of coastal sage scrub in coastal southern California are able to produce shoots from their base on a continual basis in the absence of fire or other major defoliation. As a result, each shrub becomes a population of mixed-aged branches (ramets) and extends its duration in the canopy beyond the age of any of its above-ground phytomass, reduces the incidence of senescence, and permits an individual (genet) to survive during long fire-free intervals. A computer simulation of succession in coastal sage scrub under differing fire intervals shows that continual basal sprouting may be significant in influencing the long-term composition of the vegetation.