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In the Pacific Northwest, timber oatgrass is "moderately resistant" to fire [67]. Postfire regeneration occurs through seed and recovery is generally complete within 5 to 10 years [33,67].
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".
For further information on FIRE REGIMES in forest and woodland communities, see the FEIS Species Summaries on these dominant tree species:
Species Fire-return interval interior ponderosa pine 2-45 years western juniper 7-100 years lodgepole pine 25-300 years For further information on FIRE REGIMES in grassland and shrub communities, see the FEIS Species Summaries on:Timber oatgrass grows in a wide range of habitats including rock outcrops, sphagnum bogs, dry meadows, grassy balds, and on alluvial flats of river floodplains [3,29,30,53]. It occurs on dry to moist sites from the prairies and grasslands to rocky alpine ridges [22]. In parts of the northern Rocky Mountains timber oatgrass is locally common in subalpine meadows in the fir-spruce zone [40,47]. In British Columbia, it grows in alpine tundra zones [1] and in the Sierra Nevada of California, it occurs in mountain meadows [56]. In fescue grasslands, timber oatgrass occurs in small patches or as a "fairly constant scattering" across the stand [24].
At high elevations timber oatgrass is most abundant in subalpine and alpine parks and meadows but also occurs in openings in upper elevation coniferous types, including fir-spruce and lodgepole pine communities [58,65,69]. It is common in ponderosa pine forests of the Black Hills of South Dakota [59].
Across its wide range, timber oatgrass grows from sea level to more than 12,000 feet (3660 m) in elevation [30]. Generalized elevational ranges of timber oatgrass are as follows [12,61,58,69]:
7,500 to 12,800 feet (2286-3901 m) in CO 3,200 to 8,900 feet ( 975-2713 m) in MT 4,950 to 6,780 feet (1509-2067 m) in SD 8,000 to 12,000 feet (2440-3660 m) in UT 5,000 to 11,000 feet (1981-3353 m) in WY Sites at high elevations are often rocky with permeable, well-drained, shallow to deep soils [22,27,34]. Often, soils are characterized by relatively high soil moisture derived from snowmelt above [13]. Soils are commonly derived from shale, limestone, and other sedimentary materials, or from granite or redeposited volcanics [25,27]. Timber oatgrass commonly grows on loam and silt-loam soils [30]. Growth is described as good on organic and andic soils [12].Timber oatgrass is an indicator of climax in a number of
grassland and forest habitat types or plant communities, including ponderosa pine
(Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), sagebrush
(Artemisia spp.)-grass, silver sagebrush (A. cana), western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis),
quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), and some white fir (Abies concolor) types.
Timber oatgrass commonly occurs in small, isolated grasslands of
northwestern Montana that are considered mixtures of palouse and
Alberta fescue (Festuca spp.) grasslands with species such as bluebunch wheatgrass
(Pseudoroegneria spicata), Idaho fescue (F. idahoensis),
and rough fescue (F. altaica) [9,30].
It is rarely found in the Palouse prairie [30]. Timber oatgrass
grows in small openings surrounded by lodgepole pine
and in groves of quaking aspen [30]. Timber oatgrass occurs as a
dominant in fescue-oatgrass (Danthonia spp.) associations in Alberta and
Saskatchewan [6,30]. In subalpine meadow communities of the
northern Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, timber oatgrass
commonly grows with species such as wedge-leaf
cinquefoil (Potentilla diversifolia),
reedgrass (Calamagrostis spp.), and sedges (Carex spp.)
[13,42]. In quaking aspen and ponderosa pine communities of South
Dakota, common associates include bearberry (Arctostaphylos
uva-ursi), and bluegrass (Poa spp.) [59]. Timber
oatgrass occurs with shrubby cinquefoil (P. fruticosa) in
riparian shrub communities of Montana and Nevada [38,46,60].
A variety of forbs and grasses occur with timber oatgrass in
grasslands and shrublands of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado,
including slender cinquefoil (P. gracilis), oneflower fleabane (Erigeron simplex),
alpine oreoxis (Oreoxis alpina ssp. puberulenta),
sibbaldia (Sibbaldia procumbens), low
goldenrod (Solidago multiradiata), tufted hairgrass
(Deschampsia caespitosa), prairiesmoke avens (Geum triflorum), bearded wheatgrass
(Elymus caninus), blue wildrye (E. glaucus ssp. glaucus), prairie
Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha),
needlegrass (Stipa spp.),
and Parry oatgrass (D. parryi) [2,5,28,43,61]
Publications listing timber oatgrass as an indicator include the following:
A preliminary classification of the natural vegetation of Colorado [2]
Summary flora of riparian shrub communities of the Intermountain
region with emphasis on willows [16]
Grassland, shrubland, and forestland habitat types of the White
River-Arapaho National Forest [19]
Plant associations of the Wallowa-Snake Province: Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest [24]
Habitat types on selected parts of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre National
Forests [28]
Preliminary riparian community type classification for Nevada
[38]
The vegetation of Alberta [41]
Grassland and shrubland habitat types of western Montana [43]
Classification of deer habitat in the ponderosa pine forest of the
Black Hills, South Dakota [59]
Riparian classification for the Upper Salmon/Middle Fork Salmon
River drainages, Idaho [60]
Timber oatgrass has basal meristems and is much more tolerant
of grazing than many of its associates [36]. In
California, it is able to withstand
heavy grazing [50]. In fescue (Festuca spp.) grasslands of
Alberta, timber oatgrass is a codominant only in grazed or
mowed areas [9]. It often becomes common after
grazing in these grasslands [42]. In a
north-central Idaho study, timber oatgrass increased with
cattle grazing [32].
In the mountain and southern Great Plains
physiographic regions of New Mexico, and in the mountains of
Wyoming, timber oatgrass decreased in response
to grazing pressure [66]. Costello and Schwan [8] report
that timber oatgrass is a common component of ponderosa pine
ranges in excellent condition, but is scarcer on ranges in
good condition.
Timber oatgrass is one of the more productive grasses on
subalpine domestic sheep ranges of Wyoming.
Herbage yields of oatgrass may reach 164 lbs/acre (green weight)
on these sites [25]. Mueggler [44] reports
that in western Montana, timber oatgrass produces 4 to 9 times
more biomass during "best" years than during "poorest" years. In
ponderosa pine stands of South Dakota, greatest understory
production of timber oatgrass was observed in pole-sized stands
within clearcuts [64].
Timber oatgrass is palatable for all classes of livestock and wildlife.
Utilization of timber oatgrass occurs mostly in the spring when
palatability is considered good [57,65]. After spring, it is only
moderately palatable and not highly productive [65]. In the northern
Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, Uresk and Paintner [63]
reported that timber oatgrass was utilized by cattle throughout the
grazing season (June through September). In the central Black Hills of
South Dakota, the heaviest use of timber oatgrass by cattle occurred in
June [62].
The palatability of timber oatgrass to livestock and wildlife species in
several western states has been rated as follows [12,43]:
Timber oatgrasss begins growth early in the spring [57]. Flowering occurs from June to August, depending on the location [50]. The seed crop is disseminated during August and September [58].
At lower elevations in California, flowerstalks may appear in April, with the seed cast by June [50]. At higher elevations, these dates are correspondingly later. In Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, flowering begins in July and ends in August [12].
In western Montana, seasonal development varies according to aspect as follows [44]:
