The effects of fire on serpentine vegetation and implications for management.

We summarize the results of two studies comparing fire effects on adjacent serpentine and non-serpentine soils in two vegetation types, grassland and chaparral. In both vegetation types, serpentine soils were less fertile and supported less biomass. Mean time-to-last-burn was longer, and fire severities lower, in serpentine vs. non-serpentine chaparral. Positive effects of fire on species richness, diversity, species turnover, and exotic invasion were most pronounced in the more productive non-serpentine vegetation. Management of unique, low productivity habitats like serpentine must take into account differing responses and lower resilience to fire that often characterize these environments.