This description provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology, and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (29,30,54,21,33).
Sierra gooseberry is a deciduous shrub [20,34,77]. Stems are prickly, long, and branching, with a height of 1.6 to 3.9 feet (0.5-1.2 m) [20,57]. Leaves are round and 0.6 to 1.4 inch (1.5-3.5 cm) long [20]. Flower sepals are reflexed, 0.3 to 0.4 inch (0.7-0.9 cm) long [30] and petals are 0.1 to 0.2 inches (.03-.05 cm) long [20,30,35,57]. Fruits are berries, 0.5 to 0.6 inch (1.4-1.6 cm) in diameter [20,30,57], that are covered with stout spines and gland-tipped bristles [20,30,35,57]. Seeds are subglobose [64]. Sierra gooseberry produces an average of 225,000 to 295,000 seeds per pound [64]. Root depth is a minimum of 16 inches (41 cm) [77].
Fire adaptations: Sierra gooseberry is described as having "medium" resistance to fire [77]. It has a root crown bearing adventitious buds. A crown fragment attached to an undisturbed root can "quickly" regenerate a plant after a disturbance such as fire [20,64]. Some seedling establishment may occur from the seed bank [48,51,64]. Seeds may possibly be dispersed onto burned sites by animals [64].
FIRE REGIMES: Sierra gooseberry occurs in a variety of community types with a wide range of FIRE REGIMES. In the chaparral habitat of California, fires started by lightning and historically by Native Americans occurred for at least 100,000 years [33]. Native Americans set fires to make hunting easier; to facilitate the collection of seeds, berries, and bulbs; and to prepare feeding grounds for game [5,72]. Early settlers such as miners, loggers and sheep herders used fire "destructively," changing the landscape. Miners cut timber for fuel and mining props and used fire to remove slash [5,12]. Loggers did not practice sustained-yield forestry and cut most of the trees and burned the slash. This resulted in high-severity fires that killed the remaining trees and turned the areas into chaparral [71]. Sheep herders killed many trees to open forest stands and improve grazing conditions [12].
In oak woodland communities in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, wildfires were historically supplemented with burning by Native Americans to create deer browse and improve acorn production. Since the early 1900s, fire exclusion has greatly lengthened fire return intervals [5]. As a result, vegetation is often a continuous zone of decadent and low diversity brush and trees, and the density of vegetation, especially of interior live oak (Quercus wislizenii), has increased [79].
In mixed-conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada, frequent wildfires maintained open, parklike stands by the suppression of understory shrubs and saplings. Fire exclusion in this habitat has resulted in the rapid accumulation of litter and understory vegetation [79]. Wagener [80] reported a mean fire return interval of 7 to 10 years for the area from Plumas County to Fresno County. Kilgore [42] reported fire return intervals ranging from 2 to 25 years. Others report most fire return intervals were every 6 to 10 years [10,27,49,82], and some were as low as 2 to 4 years [46,78].
Fire return intervals in mixed-conifer forests of the Dinkey Creek Watershed in the Sierra National Forest, California, were studied by Phillips [60]. Stumps were examined for fire scars created from 1771 to 1994, with 1893 chosen as the end of the preEuro-American settlement period. Mean fire return intervals ranged from 3 to 5 years from 1771 to 1893, with maximum intervals of 6 to 12 years and minimum intervals of 1 to 2 years. Lightning-caused fires requiring suppression occurred every year from 1911 to 1965 compared to lightning-caused fires occurring every 9 years during a similar period 25 to 31 miles (40-50 km) south of Dinkey Creek [60].
In the bald hills Oregon oak woodlands of Redwood National Park, frequent fires suppressed the establishment of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) until postsettlement times, keeping the woodlands from converting into conifer forest. Native Americans burned the Bald Hills every 1 to 2 years [47], stimulating the growth of native woodland species and controlling Douglas-fir invasion [74] . Fire exclusion began in the 20th century, leading to the development of a closed conifer canopy and decreased plant diversity in some areas [74].
The following table provides fire return intervals for plant communities and ecosystems where Sierra gooseberry is important. 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".
Community or ecosystem Dominant species Fire return interval range (years) California chaparral Adenostoma and/or Arctostaphylos spp. <35 to <100 California montane chaparral Ceanothus and/or Arctostaphylos spp. 50-100 [58] Jeffrey pine Pinus jeffreyi 5-30 Pacific ponderosa pine* Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa 1-47 [3] coastal Douglas-fir* Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii 40-240 [3,55,67] California mixed evergreen Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii-Lithocarpus densiflorus-Arbutus menziesii <35 California oakwoods Quercus spp. <35 canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis <35 to 200 Oregon white oak Quercus garryana <35 [3] California black oak Quercus kelloggii 5-30 [58] *fire return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the species reviewSierra gooseberry is found growing on dry, open forest slopes [20,35,57] and rock outcrops in Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) woodlands [74]. Sierra gooseberry attains its greatest abundance on severely disturbed sites following logging [7,26,51,62,63,64] and fire [11,13,28,29,36,41,83].
Elevation: Elevational ranges by state are shown below:
California 3,500-8,500 feet (1,100-2,600 m) [20,57] Nevada 5,000-8,000 feet (1,500-2,400 m) [35]Soil: Sierra gooseberry is adapted to coarse and medium-textured soils with a pH ranging from 6.0 to 7.5 [77].
Climate: Sierra gooseberry is a drought-resistant species [8,20,77]. It grows primarily in mediterranean climates, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters [13,19,74]. It can withstand a minimum temperature of -28 °F (-33 °C) [77]. Mean annual precipitation throughout Sierra gooseberry's range is 18 to 90 inches (46-229 cm) [1,2,14,19,28,29,38,40,63,74].
Cattle, horses, domestic sheep, and domestic goats eat Sierra gooseberry browse [69]. Sierra gooseberry is an important browse plant for mule deer [20,46,69] and bighorn sheep [20]. The fruits are eaten by small mammals and birds [20] and are an important food for fox sparrows in northwestern California [26].
Palatability/nutritional value: The overall browse value of Sierra gooseberry for livestock and deer is as follows [69]:
Cattle Horses Domestic sheep Domestic goats Mule deer poor poor to useless fair fair fair to uselessCover value: No information is available on this topic.
Silviculture:
Sierra gooseberry may interfere with conifer establishment
following logging. Vigorous Sierra gooseberry growth may occur for 25 to 30 years following clearcuts and only 3
to 10 years following a "light" cut. Seeds may be left near
the surface of soil following logging or may be buried more deeply than before
logging, causing a high amount of germination [64].
Sierra gooseberry
responds favorably to logging in the following habitats:
Downy mildew and leaf anthracnose are common diseases of Sierra gooseberry,
causing leaves and fruits to drop prematurely [64].
Sierra gooseberry regenerates vegetatively and from seed [36,64,81].
Pollination: The flowers of Sierra gooseberry are wind pollinated [64].
Breeding system: Sierra gooseberry flowers are bisexual [66].
Seed production: Seed crops are produced when Sierra gooseberry plants are 2 to 5 years old [8,64].
Seed dispersal: Sierra gooseberry seeds are spread by animals including American black bears, rodents, and probably birds, mule deer, and cattle. Seeds are also spread by water, especially during spring runoff, and gravity [64].
Seed banking: Seeds of Ribes remain viable in the soil for long periods of time [48,51]. No studies have been conducted on the natural seed bank of Sierra gooseberry; however, seeds were found viable after 40 years of storage in milk bottles buried 20 inches (50 cm) below the forest floor in Tuolumne County, California. After the bottles were removed, 3 germination tests of 100 seeds each were conducted using 2 cycles of stratification-germination temperatures. Average seedling production per culture of 100 seeds was 7.3 seedlings [62].
In studies by Quick [64], Sierra gooseberry seed viability was as follows [64]:
Seed storage conditions for air-dried seed at 36 ºF (2 ºC) Duration (years) Viability at end of period (%) 7 85 12 45Germination: Germination of Sierra gooseberry is stimulated by disturbances such as fire [11,13,28,29,36,41,83] and logging [13,62,63,64].
Sierra gooseberry requires stratification at 36 °F (2 °C) for 14 to 16 weeks or at 32 °F (0 °C) for 18 to 20 weeks [64]. Germination rates of 200 Sierra gooseberry seeds were tested in a greenhouse following stratification at 32º F for 100 to 150 days. Germination rates were 80% with a germination capacity of 87% [59].
Seedling establishment/growth: The survival and growth of Sierra gooseberry depend on the successional development of associated vegetation and the time elapsed following logging or other disturbances [64].
Although the seedling establishment of Sierra gooseberry is favored by disturbed soil, the best seed bed for Ribes may be mineral soil with humus [59].
Sierra gooseberry is apparently favored by nitrogen-enriched soils, and survival and growth of seedlings may be favored by an association with whitethorn ceanothus (Ceanothus cordulatus) and other Ceanothus species. Whitethorn ceanothus bears nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules, enabling Sierra gooseberry seedlings to thrive. In addition, whitethorn ceanothus bears spines forest-browsing cattle avoid. This increases the layer of duff beneath the plant, favoring growth of Sierra gooseberry seedlings [63].
Two years following logging on Chowchilla Mountain in central California, live stem length and fruit production of Sierra gooseberry were examined on bushes growing from root crown sprouts, layers, and seed with the following results:
Type of Sierra gooseberry bushes Live stem length (ft) Fruits/foot Bushes growing from resprouting crowns 8.9 4.5 Bushes growing from layers 11.8 7.2 Bushes growing from seed 19.7 0The fox sparrow and green-tailed towhee, 2 ground-dwelling birds, favor the growth of Sierra gooseberry by creating small disturbances on the forest floor when foraging, enabling seedlings to establish [64].
Asexual regeneration: Sierra gooseberry regenerates by layering and sprouting from the root crowns [64].
Sierra gooseberry is common on disturbed sites [8,20,77]. It tolerates open to partially closed canopies [64,77]. Sierra gooseberry is a pioneer species, growing in primary-succession forests but most abundantly in secondary-succession forests. The passage of time following a disturbance decreases the density of Sierra gooseberry [64], probably due to decreased soil moisture and nutrients [18,64].
Sierra gooseberry is a pioneer species in the succession of mixed-conifer forests dominated by sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) in the Sierra Nevada and eventually is suppressed by coniferous reproduction due to competition for soil moisture and nutrients [63,64].
In California, Sierra gooseberry occurs in secondary-succession montane chaparral [13].
Sierra gooseberry was found scattered throughout a 2nd-growth sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)-mixed-conifer forest in Whitaker's Forest in Tulare County, California [11].
Conard and Radosevich [18] studied postfire succession in white fir (Abies concolor) habitat of the northern Sierra Nevada, California. The percent cover of Sierra gooseberry was greatest on the youngest postfire site (a 10-year-old crown fire), dominated by montane chaparral. Increased light penetration to the forest floor allowed the development of shrubs such as Sierra gooseberry [18].
The percent cover of Sierra gooseberry following clearcutting in a red fir (Abies magnifica) forest in the Sierra Nevada was as follows [23]:
4- to 10-year-old sites 11- to 25-year-old sites 25- to 32-year-old sites 1.7% 0.7% 4.5%The currently accepted scientific name for Sierra gooseberry is Ribes roezlii
Regel (Grossulariaceae) [20,21,30,35,57,77].
There are 3 recognized varieties:
R. roezlii var. roezlii Regel [30,34]
R. roezlii var. amictum (Greene) Jepson [30,34]
R. roezlii var. cruentum [30,34]
Sierra gooseberry does not
regularly hybridize; however, Mesler and others [53] report putative hybrids
between gummy gooseberry (R. lobbii)
and R. roezlii var. cruentum in
the Klamath Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon.
Sierra gooseberry does not form terminal buds and has indeterminate growth. Growth is vigorous until lack of space, soil moisture, or low temperatures slow or terminate growth. Sierra gooseberry probably resumes vigorous growth when conditions improve [64].
Stem cuttings can be rooted easily; however, root cuttings fail to produce plants [64]. Pfister [59] provides information on propagation of Sierra gooseberry and other Ribes from seed and cuttings. The minimum planting density of Sierra gooseberry is 700 plants/acre, and the maximum is 1,700 plants/acre [77].
Ribes roezlii is a North American species of currant known by the common name Sierra gooseberry.[2]
Ribes roezlii is native to many of the mountain ranges of California, its distribution extending east into Nevada and north into Oregon. Its habitat includes chaparral, woodlands, and forested areas.[3][4]
Ribes roezlii is a spiny shrub growing erect to a maximum height around 1.2 metres (3.9 ft). The hairless to hairy or woolly leaves are up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long and divided into 3 or 5 rounded, toothed lobes.[3][5][6]
The inflorescence is a solitary flower or raceme of 2 or 3 small wind-pollinated[7] flowers hanging pendent from the branches. Each flower has five reflexed red-purple sepals around a tube-shaped ring of smaller white or pinkish petals, the stamens and stigmas protruding.[3][5][6][8]
The fruit is a red or purple berry up to 2.5 centimeters long which is covered in thick, long spines. Among other currants and gooseberries with overlapping ranges, such as mountain gooseberry (Ribes montigenum) or wax currant (Ribes cereum), the sierra gooseberry is especially notable for the large size and extreme spininess of its berries,[9] and for the absence of a noticeable dried flower remnant at the end of the fruit.[5][6]
Seeds are dispersed by running water and by animals that eat the fruits, such as American black bears.[7] The foliage is an important food source for mule deer and bighorn sheep, and the fruits are a common food for fox sparrows living in its range.[7][5][6] The berries can be eaten by humans in an emergency, but are unpalatable.[10]
Ribes roezlii is a North American species of currant known by the common name Sierra gooseberry.
