Sheep's-bit
Jasione montana
Family: Campanulaceae
Fire effect on plant
Sheep’s-bit is likely killed by fire.
Key traits
Sheep’s-bit is an annual or biennial plant. The adult plants are killed by fire, but regeneration can occur via seedling establishment from soil-stored seed (Valbuena and Trabaud 2001). There is no specialized seed dispersal mechanism, and typical maximum seed travel is around 1.4 m from the parent plant.
Plant response to fire
A reduction in cover and competition after fire may open up recruitment opportunities for sheep’s bit (Davies 2004). A flush of sheep’s-bit seedling emergence and establishment may occur on burnt patches, which will likely be outcompeted by other heathland species eventually.
Timing of life history
Annual or biennial. Seed production in first or second year. Flowering May to September.
Conservation status
None.
References
Davies, G. M. 2004. Bradda Head Fire 17-19th October 2003. Report to the Isle of Man Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. University of Edinburgh/Game Conservancy Trust [Expert opinion; Grey 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]