Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
Introductory
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Pavek, Diane S. 1993. Arbutus arizonica. 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/tree/arbari/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
ARBARI
SYNONYMS :
Arbutus xalapensis var. arizonica Gray
SCS PLANT CODE :
ARAR2
COMMON NAMES :
Arizona madrone
Arizona madrono
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of Arizona madrone is Arbutus
arizonica (Gray) Sarg. [11,25]. It is a member of the heather family
(Ericaceae). There are no recognized subspecies, varieties, or forms.
LIFE FORM :
Tree, Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Arizona madrone has a limited distribution. It is found in the
foothills and lower mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico, and
northern Mexico [11,22,25].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
STATES :
AZ NM MEXICO
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
7 Lower Basin and Range
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K019 Arizona pine forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K031 Oak - juniper woodlands
SAF COVER TYPES :
237 Interior ponderosa pine
239 Pinyon - juniper
240 Arizona cypress
241 Western live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Arizona madrone is widespread in mesic areas of the Madrean (i.e.,
Sierra Madre) evergreen woodlands, extending up into the mixed
coniferous forest [1,4,13]. Additionally, it is a minor component of
two riparian community types: (1) Arizona sycamore/American ash
(Platanus wrightii/Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and (2) Arizona sycamore
[24]. Arizona madrone is an important species within the oak-pine
woodland, especially the pygmy conifer-oak scrub (Pinus
cembroides-Juniperus deppeana-Quercus arizonica, Q. emoryi) [5,17,30].
It is also found in drier adjacent communities with buckbrush (Ceanothus
huichugore) [4,18]. It is listed as a minor seral species in the
following classification:
Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of Arizona south
of the Mogollon Rim and southwestern New Mexico [33].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
Arizona madrone has light-colored sapwood that is close grained, heavy,
soft, and brittle. The wood has a specific gravity of approximately
0.71. Arizona madrone has been used to manufacture charcoal and
gunpowder [22,28].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Arizona madrone is rarely browsed except by goats [22]. Its fruits are
eaten by mammals and birds and may be an important food source for some
species, such as the elegant trogan [32]. Arizona madrone may provide
nest sites for cavity-nesting or other birds.
PALATABILITY :
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
The fruit of Arizona madrone has narcotic properties, and the bark is
used as an astringent [21].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Arizona madrone is a native, broadleaf, evergreen tree or shrub [11].
Stout, spreading branches form a compact, round-topped crown [21]. It
grows 19 to 50 feet (6-15 m) tall with a diameter of 18 to 24 inches
(46-61 cm) [11,21,22,28]. The bark is smooth, thin, and peels off in
sheets [7,11,21]. Thick, oblong leaves are leathery, and 2 to 3 inches
(5-7.2 cm) long. The fruit is a mealy, sweet berry. The berry contains
many seeds [25,27,28].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Arizona madrone reproduces sexually by seed. Fleshy, bright-colored
fruits may be animal disseminated, as are the fruits of another madrone
species (Arbutus unedo) [10,16]. Madrone species, including Arizona
madrone, sprout from the root crown after top-kill by burning or other
disturbance [10,14,15,34]. Arizona madrone grows slowly [27].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Arizona madrone is found in mesic canyons, on lower slopes, and mountain
sides [1]. It occurs on well-drained, gravelly, and sunny sites [7,28].
Arizona madrone is confined to moist riparian areas at low elevations
(1,600 to 2,200 feet [487-671 m]) but occurs more commonly at elevations
from 4,000 to 8,000 feet (1,219-2,438 m) [6,11,28,30]. It occurs on a
variety of soils formed from resideual or colluvial parent materials
[33]. Arizona madrone is often on open, north-facing or intermediate
east- and west-facing slopes. In the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona,
its highest frequency (23 percent) was on north-facing slopes [30].
The climate is semiarid to arid with bimodal rainy seasons (July to
September and December to March) [1,5,30]. Rainfall is variable with
mean annual precipitation from 11 to 20 inches (280-500 mm).
Common associated species are New Mexico locust (Robina neomexicana),
silverleaf oak (Quercus hypoleucoides), netleaf oak (Q. rugosa), Apache
pine (Pinus engelmannii), and Chihuahua pine (Pinus leiophylla var.
chihuahuana) [5,6,24,29,32]. Other associated species are longtongue
muhly (Muhlenbergia longiligula) and New Mexico groundsel(Senecio
neomexicanus) [33].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Little information was found in the literature about the successional
status of Arizona madrone. It reportedly occurs as a mid- to late seral
species [32]. Based upon the performance of other members of this
genus, Arizona madrone is most likely a facultative seral species.
Another madrone species (Arbutus unedo) that holds a similar ecological
role in Corsican woodlands is a mid-successional species [16].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
New leaves of Arizona madrone are put out in May and again after the
summer rains; these leaves persist about 1 year [21]. Arizona madrone
flowers from April to May or June [3,11,28]. Fruits ripen October
through November [21,28].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Arizona madrone has thin bark, which makes it susceptible to fire damage.
It sprouts from the root crown after top-kill [34]. Published information
on the fire ecology of Arizona madrone is sparse. Further research is
needed in this area [1].
Fire is infrequent and has a minor role in the riparian communities in
which Arizona madrone is a component; however, fire occurs frequently in
the pine-oak woodland types in which it also occurs [17].
Arizona madrone in the Chiricahua and Santa Catalina Mountains of
Arizona has survived fire. In a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)/oak
community, an Arizona madrone had eight fire scars, indicating frequent
fires [31].
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Arizona madrone has thin bark and is top-killed by fire [34].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Arizona madrone sprouts from the root corwn after top-kill by fire [34].
Madrean evergreen woodlands in Arizona were prescribed burned in 1983.
In 1989 and 1990, no sprouting or germination of Arizona madrone was
found. The small, slow-moving fires may have caused root damage to
Arizona madrone, which suppressed sprouting or killed the plants [32].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Arizona madrone occurs in canyons that are often involved in prescribed
fire programs within the Madrean evergreen woodlands [1].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica
REFERENCES :
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generalized fire prescriptions to burning of Madrean evergreen forest
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reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
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4. Brown, David E., ed. 1982. Biotic communities of the American
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ed. Biotic communities of the American Southwest--United States and
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communities. In: DeGraaf, Richard M., technical coordinator. Management
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Elizabeth. 1960. Arizona flora. 2d ed. Berkeley, CA: University of
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15. Mesleard, Francois; Lepart, Jacques. 1989. Continuous basal sprouting
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Arbutus unedo and Erica arborea on Corsica. Journal of Vegetation
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Catalina Mountains: community types and dynamics. Vegetatio. 58: 3-28.
[12037]
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communities of the American Southwest--United States and Mexico. Desert
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FEIS Home Page
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