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Data from: Long-term dynamics of the Geophyte Toxicoscordion fremontii (Torr.) Rydb. Across two wildfires: fire-return interval implications

Tyler, Claudia1; Borchert, Mark2

Published Mar 31, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.rn8pk0pr6

Data files

Mar 31, 2026 version files 22.61 KB
Mar 31, 2026 version files 22.59 KB

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Abstract

Geophytes are an ecologically important floral component, contributing to native diversity and often creating conspicuous postfire floral displays. Our long-term observations of the chaparral geophyte Toxicoscordion fremontii provide information about its life history, while offering insights into potential impacts of altered fire-regimes. These data contain longterm measurements of growth and reproduction in Toxicoscordion fremontii at two sites in Santa Barbara County, over a 20-year period and spanning two wildfire events. Over this period, we tracked individuals starting in 1990 when half were burned and the other half unburned in the Paint Fire. We measured plant size (basal and stem leaf area and number of leaves) and reproduction (number of flowers, flower stalk height, number of fruits) in the spring after that fire. In 2009 both sites burned in the Jesusita Fire and individuals were relocated and all plant characteristics measured. Given are data from 1991 (after the 1990 Paint Fire), 1999 (nine years after the Paint Fire), and 2010 (after the 2009 Jesusita Fire). The dataset (EE2026_Toxicoscordion_size_reprod.csv) includes plant size and reproductive measurements for every individual plant. The additional data set (EE2026_ToxicoscordionPodLvSdNo.csv) contains measurements of mature fruit pods collected from non-target plants at the study sites in 1991, and in 2010 (following the Paint and the Jesusita wildfires, respectively). Given are individual fruit lengths and number of seeds for a total of 276 fruits.