These changes in density seem much less significant, however, than the changes in domi- 

 nance brought about by different recovery rates and indicated by crown volume estimates (table 

 5). Note, for instance, that an average mountain maple shrub had recovered only 8 percent of 

 prefire volume after 2 years, while a willow recovered to 14 percent in the first year and 42 

 percent in the second year. In terms of total shrub volume in the community, maple was 

 reduced from nearly 80 percent to about 14 percent, and willow increased from 15 percent to 

 more than 80 percent. Representative development of these two species is illustrated in figures 

 8 and 9. 



Table 5. --Mean crown volumes of shrubs 



Shrub species 



Prefire 



' Postfire 



1963 



' 1964 



1965 







- Cubic feet - - - 





Acer glabrum 

 Amelanchier alnifolia 

 Ribes lacustre 

 Ribes viscosissimum 

 Salix scouleriana 

 Symphoricarpos oreophilus 



322.0 (77) 



35.8 (4) 



18.9 (16) 

 3.8 (5) 



763.0 (6) 

 5.6 (38) 



6.1 (41) 

 10.3 (3) 



105.9 (10) 

 4.7 (1) 



27.1 (31) 

 6.7 (6) 

 4.7 (3) 

 1.0 (8) 

 320.3 (15) 

 3.4 (14) 



1 Numbers of shrubs measured are in parentheses. 



Samples of other shrub species in the burned area are smaller than samples for willow 

 and maple but nevertheless demonstrate important changes. The two Ribes species, for ex- 

 ample, are very obviously and differentially affected by fire. Before the area was burned, R. 

 lacustre was represented by more and larger plants than R. viscosissimum. Both are recover- 

 ing crown volume at about the same rate, but R. viscosissimum has increased tremendously in 

 density, whereas R. lacustre is only slowly approaching prefire densities. In addition, R. 

 viscosissimum seedlings have become one of several important components of the ground- 

 cover layer. 



Figure 8. --Mountain maple (A. glabrum) resprouting 1 and 2 years after fire. 



