Drought and fire suppression lead to rapid forest composition change in a forest-prairie ecotone

DeSantis, Ryan D.; Hallgren, Stephen W.; Stahle, David W.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.02.006

Cited by 88 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Total basal area for this study is similar to other studies across multiple sites in the Oklahoma Cross Timbers (DeSantis et al 2010a(DeSantis et al , 2011 and Arkansas Cross Timbers (Bragg et al 2012). DeSantis et al (2010a) demonstrate increases in non-oak basal area and tree density across multiple sites in Oklahoma between the 1950s and 2000s.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…1, 2). DeSantis et al (2011) found increases in species recruitment following drought during the 1950s and decreases in Quercus recruitment associated with fire suppression. Clark et al (2007) indicated increased recruitment of J. virginiana during fire free periods and increased recruitment of Quercus species following frequent fires.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…In the Cross Timbers region of Oklahoma, changes in forest structure and composition are apparent in terms of increasing tree density, particularly increases in fire sensitive tree species (DeSantis et al 2010a(DeSantis et al , 2011. The result of changing historic forest dynamics is the "mesophication" (Nowacki and Abrams 2008) of Cross Timbers forests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, research on forest structure and dynamics in Oklahoma Cross Timbers forests and savannas has highlighted the increase in fire-sensitive tree density and decrease in Quercus density since the 1950s attributed to drought and fire suppression efforts (DeSantis et al 2011). Fire history studies in the Oklahoma Cross Timbers have demonstrated frequent fires prior to Euro-American settlement and a continued presence of fire on the landscape into the mid-20 th century (Shirakura 2003;Clark et al 2007;Stambaugh et al 2009;DeSantis et al 2010a;Allen and Palmer 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forest Structure and Fire History at Lake Arcadia, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (1820–2014)

King

2015

ONPR

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Evidence indicates that the structure of Oklahoma Cross Timbers forests are in transition due to changing climate, land-use patterns, and fire suppression efforts. However, only a handful of studies have addressed the history of fire across the Oklahoma Cross Timbers landscape. This research adds to the body of literature by studying the contemporary forest structure and fire history at Lake Arcadia in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. Results demonstrate that post oak (Quercus stellata Wangenh.) and blackjack oak (Q. marilandica Münchh.), two common species in Oklahoma Cross Timbers, dominate the forest. However, several mesophytic tree species are found in the overstory as well as the sapling layer of the forest. A total of 25 fire events (mean fire interval = 4.14 years) were documented during the 20 th century using fire-scar analysis of Q. stellata trees and remnant wood (stumps, snags, recently dead trees). High fire frequencies in the early to mid-20 th century corresponded to the recruitment of Q. stellata and Q. marilandica. Wet conditions (PDSI > 0) during the late 20 th century and no fires after 1985 corresponded to the recruitment of non-oak, mesophytic species at the study site. The results of this study suggest that changes in fire frequency and moisture availability are contributing to changes in tree density and species composition at the study site.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forest Structure and Fire History at Lake Arcadia, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (1820–2014)

King

2015

ONPR

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“…As scientists have learned more about grassland ecosystems, there is strong evidence that the suppression of fire has led to increases in woody plants and a decrease in grasses and forbs (Heisler et al 2004, Ansley and Castellano 2006, DeSantis et al 2011. Fire regimes have influenced grassland evolution for millennia; without it, the encroachment of woody plants creates a different risk-loss of grassland forages for livestock producers and threatens the healthy functioning of grasslands (Gottfried et al 2009, Bowman et al 2011.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landowners' perceptions of risk in grassland management: woody plant encroachment and prescribed fire

Harr

Morton

Rusk

et al. 2014

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Ecologists recognize that fire and herbivory are essential to maintaining habitat quality in grassland ecosystems. Prescribed fire and grazing are typically used on public reserves to increase biodiversity, improve grassland productivity, and control encroachment of woody plants. However, these tools, particularly prescribed fire, have not been widely adopted by private landowners. Fire suppression and prescribed fire are strategies that present competing risks to owners who make management decisions. We explore landowner perceptions of risk associated with (1) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) encroachment, and (2) the use of prescribed fire to control woody species in the Grand River Grasslands of Iowa and Missouri, USA. We found that although mapping data of eastern redcedar in this region showed substantial encroachment over the past three decades, concept mapping of landowner beliefs and in-person interviews of local community leaders revealed that perceived risks associated with prescribed fire often outweighed those associated with loss of forage and grassland habitats.

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Mapping fire history and quantifying burned area through 35 years of prescribed fire history at an Illinois tallgrass prairie restoration site using GIS

Rowland‐Schaefer

Bach

Kleiman

et al. 2022

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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1. Fire was important to pre-colonization prairies. In today's remnant and reconstructed prairies, managers frequently employ prescribed fire, a historical management practice that limits woody encroachment, suppresses non-native species and promotes nutrient cycling. However, few long-term prescribed fire spatial datasets are available for study.2. We used archived images of prescribed fire maps and hand-drawn fire records to generate a geospatial record of the prescribed fire history at Nachusa Grasslands, a combination remnant and restored preserve in northern Illinois.3. This record contains maps of the prescribed fire history of the preserve across the entirety of its 35-year history. We used the maps to calculate both the absolute area and percentage of the preserve burned every year.4. This dataset compiles a long history of prescribed fire on a nature preserve and, due to the existing robust research programme at the preserve, can support the study of patterns in management applications of prescribed fire and examine the impacts of prescribed fire in restoration projects.

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Drought and fire suppression lead to rapid forest composition change in a forest-prairie ecotone

Cited by 88 publications

References 55 publications

Forest Structure and Fire History at Lake Arcadia, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (1820–2014)

Forest Structure and Fire History at Lake Arcadia, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (1820–2014)

Landowners' perceptions of risk in grassland management: woody plant encroachment and prescribed fire

Mapping fire history and quantifying burned area through 35 years of prescribed fire history at an Illinois tallgrass prairie restoration site using GIS

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