Fire effects: Common snowberry is top-killed by fire, but belowground parts are very resistant to fire. Variable response to fire has been reported but in general, light- to moderate-severity fires increase stem density, and common snowberry survives even severe fires . To eliminate rhizomatous sprouting, fire intensity must be severe enough to kill the roots and rhizome system. Common snowberry is classified as a "survivor" and has high resistance to fire. It is a rhizomatous species with rhizomes buried 2 to 5 inches (5-12.5 cm) deep in mineral soil. After fire has killed the top of the plant, new growth sprouts from these rhizomes . Growth in the 1st postfire year is highly variable and depends on conditions at specific site, but is generally considered to be good. With light to moderate soil disturbance, sprouting will return common snowberry coverage in a year and common snowberry may produce fruit the 1st year. Sprout height can reach one-half to three-fourths of prefire stem height in the 1st year and equal prefire height in 4 years. As a rhizomatous sprouter, it is among the first to recolonize a site after fire. Regeneration from buried seed is favored by fires of low severity and short duration that remove little of the soil organic level.