Hawkbits
Leontodon spp.
Family: Asteraceae
Fire effect on plant
Hawkbits rhizomes, adventitious root buds, and stolons resprout after physical disturbance (North Dakota Department of Agriculture 2007; Williams et al 2007), suggesting that post-fire sprouting is possible. The seeds have the potential for long-distance dispersal, though seeds do not seem to persist in the soil seed bank.
Key traits
Deep tap roots support post-fire resprouting in some species (e.g., L. tuberosum; Kazanis and Arianoutsou 2004). Post-fire germination appears to be a different strategy of other hawkbit species (e.g., L. taraxacoides; Valbuena and Trabaud 2001; Pausas and Tavşanoğlu 2018). Seeds are wind-dispersed.
Plant response to fire
There is little information on the response of hawkbits to fire, except one report that found rough hawkbit (L. hispidus) increased in abundance after a prescribed fire (Pendergrass 1996). The high-light conditions produced by fire are likely to enhance hawkweed populations.
Timing of life history
Perennial species. Seeds likely produced from second growing season. Flowering May to October.
Conservation status
None.
References
Pendergrass (Connelly), K.L., 1996. Vegetation composition and response to fire of native Willamette Valley wetland prairies. M.S. Thesis. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Valbuena, L., Trabaud, L. (2001). Contribution of the soil seed bank to post-fire recovery of a heathland. Plant Ecology 152: 175-183. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Kazanis, D., Arianoutsou, M. (2004). Long-term post-fire vegetation dynamics in Pinus halepensis forests of Central Greece: A functional group approach. Plant Ecology 171: 101-121. [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]
Pausas, J.G., Tavşanoğlu, Ç. (2018). BROT 2.0: A functional trait database for Mediterranean Basin plants. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3843841.v1 [Empirical evidence; Academic literature]