The fire, pruning, and coppice management of temperate ecosystems for basketry material by California Indian tribes

Straight growth forms of wild shrubs and trees unaffected by insects, disea ses, or accumulated dead material have been valued cross-culturally for mil lennia for use in basketry, yet these growth forms do not occur readily in nature without disturbance. California data are presented that demonstrate how fire and pruning were ancient horticultural techniques that were utiliz ed by Native Americans in various temperate ecosystems to shape ecosystem s tructure, reduce the occurrence of insects and diseases, and activate speci fic developmental tal stages in shrubs and trees for twined and coiled bask etry. It is suggested that the magnitude and extent of burning applied to w ildlands for basketry and many other cultural purposes in most indigenous c ultures in California have been drastically underestimated in the published literature. A methodological approach is outlined for unraveling past and present-day wildland management for basketry materials in various temperate regions. Working hypotheses to explain the ecological rationale for indige nous management at both the organismic and ecosystemic level are proposed.