Rate of Twig Elongation of Chamise

Abstract

Chamise (Adenostoma fascicuZatum) is one of the major shrubs of the chaparral belt in California. Increasing emphasis on watershed management and the manipulation of brush covers for livestock and deer feed requires that additional information be obtained on the growth habits of the important plants. The objectives of this study were to determine the rate of twig elongation and the pattern of chamise growth. Three growth forms of chamise were studied. These were ungrazed mature plants which attain a height of 6 to 8 feet, plants that were hedged by deer browsing to heights of about 3 feet or less, and root crown sprouts which occurred after the tops had been killed by fire. The response of twigs to removal of the terminal bud was determined. The study was conducted on three sites on the Hopland Field Station of the University of California during the 1956 growing season. The Station is approximately 110 miles north of San Francisco and 40 miles inland from the ocean. The elevation varies from 500 to 3000 feet. Precipitation averages about 35 inches per year, although in 1955-1956 it was about 40 percent above normal. Most of the area is of the oak-woodland and annual grass types with belts of chamise and other chaparral species on the upper slopes. 1 Previous Studies