Bog bilberry
Vaccinium uliginosum
Family: Ericaceae
Fire effect on plant
Bog bilberry is typically top-killed by fire. Moderate to high severity fires may also damage underground vegetative structures.
Key traits
Bog bilberry is capable of vegetative reproductions via rhizomes that lie typically 15-20cm below the soil surface (Maillette 1988). Aboveground stems can also resprout (Parminter 1984). Seeds are destroyed by fire and it does not create long-lived seed banks (Parminter 1984). Seeds are animal dispersed and can achieve considerable dispersal distances (400–1500m; Lososová et al. 2023).
Plant response to fire
Bog bilberry typically survives low to moderate severity fires and is characterised as a fire survivor species (Matthews 1992) and has been observed to grow rapidly for the first 50 years following fire. Following light burns it has been shown to increase its biomass production (Dyrness and Norum 1983; Viereck and Dyrness 1979). Prescribed burning has been noted to increase berry yield if carried out in late autumn or early spring (whilst the plant is dormant) (Matthews 1992).
Timing of life history
Perennial species. Seeds likely produced from second growing season. Flowering June to July.
Conservation status
None.
References
Matthews, R. F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/vaculi/all.html [Expert opinion; Grey literature]
Dyrness, C. T., Norum, R.A. 1983. The effects of experimental fires on black spruce forest floors in interior Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 13: 879-893. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Lososová, Z., Axmanová, I., Chytrý, M., Midolo, G., Abdulhak, S., Karger, D.N., Renaud, J., Van Es, J., Vittoz, P. and Thuiller, W. 2023. Seed dispersal distance classes and dispersal modes for the European flora. Global Ecology and Biogeography 329, 1485–1494 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Maillette, L. 1988. Apparent commensalism among three Vaccinium species on a climatic gradient. Journal of Ecology 76: 877-888 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Parminter, J. 1984. Fire-ecological relationships for the biogeoclimatic zones of the northern portion of the Mackenzie Timber Supply Area: summary report. In: Northern Fire Ecology Project: Northern Mackenzie Timber Supply Area. Victoria, BC: Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Forests. 59 p. [Empirical evidence; Grey literature]
Viereck, L. A. Dyrness, C. T. 1979. Ecological effects of the Wickersham Dome Fire near Fairbanks, Alaska. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-90. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 71 p. [Empirical evidence; Grey literature]