Impacts of Wildfire Recency and Frequency on an Appalachian Oak Forest

Gundy, Melissa Thomas-Van; Wood, Katharina U.; Rentch, James S.

doi:10.5849/jof.14-066

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For many years, forest managers and silviculturists have attempted to utilize prescribed fire to avert potentially negative mesophication impacts in long-term non-burned forests residing in historically frequent fire landscapes [7,44,45]. In many cases dormant season prescribed fires as a singular treatment have produced less than desired results to reduce mesophytic hardwood competition and increase oak regeneration [46][47][48][49].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Properties and Erosion Potential in the Central Appalachian Region, USA

Thompson

Coates

Aust

et al. 2019

Forests

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Short- and long-term impacts of wildland fires on forest floor properties and erosion potential were examined at three locations in the Central Appalachian region, U.S.A. In 2018, two wildfires were investigated within six months of burning on the George Washington–Jefferson National Forest (GWJNF) in Bland County, Virginia and the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in Grant County, West Virginia. An additional wildfire was studied eight years post-fire on the Fishburn Forest (FF) in Montgomery County, Virginia. A 2018 prescribed fire was also studied within six months of burning on the MNF in Pendleton County, West Virginia. Litter and duff consumption were examined to evaluate fire severity and char heights were measured to better understand fire intensity. The Universal Soil Loss Equation for forestlands (USLE-Forest) was utilized to estimate potential erosion values. For the 2018 comparisons, litter depth was least as a result of the wildfires on both the MNF and GWJNF (p < 0.001). Wildfire burned duff depths in 2018 did not differ from unburned duff depths on either the MNF or GWJNF. Eight years after the FF wildfire, post-fire litter depth was less than that of an adjacent non-burned forest (p = 0.29) and duff depth was greater than that of an adjacent non-burned forest (p = 0.76). Mean GWJNF wildfire char heights were greatest of all disturbance regimes at 10.0 m, indicating high fire intensity, followed by the MNF wildfire and then the MNF prescribed fire. USLE-Forest potential erosion estimates were greatest on the MNF wildfire at 21.6 Mg soil ha−1 year−1 due to slope steepness. The next largest USLE-Forest value was 6.9 Mg soil ha−1 year−1 on the GWJNF wildfire. Both the prescribed fire and the 2010 wildfire USLE-Forest values were approximately 0.00 Mg soil ha−1 year−1. Implications for potential long-term soil erosion resulting from similar wildfires in Central Appalachian forests appeared to be minimal given the 2010 wildfire results.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Properties and Erosion Potential in the Central Appalachian Region, USA

Thompson

Coates

Aust

et al. 2019

Forests

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…, Thomas‐Van Gundy et al. ). However, we found that subsequent fires continually reduced abundance of red maple in the large seedling and sapling layers, and by Y13, most of the larger red maple stems had been eliminated; the thin bark of red maple makes it especially sensitive to heat damage and its sprouting capacity was reduced with multiple fires (Hare , Harmon , Hammond et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The "super-generalist" red maple (Abrams 1998) is often the most intense competitor to oakhickory regeneration in many areas of the Central Hardwoods, and sprouts vigorously following a harvest or a single fire (Albrecht and McCarthy 2006, Iverson et al 2008, Schuler et al 2013, Thomas-Van Gundy et al 2015. However, we found that subsequent fires continually reduced abundance of red maple in the large seedling and sapling layers, and by Y13, most of the larger red maple stems had been eliminated; the thin bark of red maple makes it especially sensitive to heat damage and its sprouting capacity was reduced with multiple fires (Hare 1965, Harmon 1984, Hammond et al 2015.…”

Section: Dynamics Of Competing Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term response of oak‐hickory regeneration to partial harvest and repeated fires: influence of light and moisture

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. By tracking oak-hickory (Quercus-Carya) regeneration for 13 yr across management-manipulated light and topographically driven moisture gradients after partial harvest and three prescribed fires, we document best-case conditions to promote advanced oak regeneration, and thereby provide a promising management tool to reverse the downward spiral in oak that plagues much of the Central Hardwoods within the eastern United States. This study was established in 2000 to assess regeneration following prescribed fire (spring of 2001, 2005, and 2010) in combination with partial harvest (late 2000) across two sites in southern Ohio. Each of the four 20+ ha treatment units (two partial harvest and burn, two controls) were modeled and mapped for long-term moisture regime using the Integrated Moisture Index (IMI) , and a 50-m grid of sampling points established throughout the units. Vegetation and light were sampled at each gridpoint before and after treatments, in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. The partial harvest and burn treatments generally had more light which resulted in an increased number of oak stems. The fires promoted heterogeneity (pyrodiversity) in tree mortality and light availability, and consequently oakhickory regeneration, mostly following IMI patterns with the drier portions of the landscape having more fire, more light penetration, and greater regeneration compared to moist locations. Several other species also had marked variations in numbers and size throughout this period, depending on landscape variation in fire intensity and moisture regimes. These included Acer rubrum and Liriodendron tulipifera which expanded initially then collapsed after repeated fire, and Sassafras albidum which continued to flourish on dry sites. Based on this study, we recommend for topographically appropriate dry and intermediate sites, a partial harvest followed by two or three dormant-season fires (depending on fire intensity) allowing roughly 6-18% light to penetrate the forest floor. This will promote oak-hickory into the advanced oak regeneration status. Then, following a hiatus from burning for some years to further advance oak-hickory growth without topkill, some proportion of oaks and hickories can be expected to advance to the canopy following natural disturbance or harvest of current canopy. On mesic sites, though treatments demonstrated here do improve oak-hickory regeneration, the relative cost to benefit would be high.

show abstract

“…Methods to do so include the use of fire or midstory removal. For instance, one study found that fire increased the number of tall oak stems per acre over no fire [21]. Another study found that spring burns and winter burns resulted in increased oak reproduction height 11 years after a single fire in shelterwood stands [22].…”

Section: Competition Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of Quercus alba (White Oak) Advance Reproduction in Small Group and Single Tree Openings

Spetich

2020

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Survival probabilities of white oak (Quercus alba) in small circular group and single tree openings ranging in size from 0.001 to 0.175 ha twelve years after opening creation are presented. At the beginning of the study, 3948 advance reproduction white oak trees were measured and tagged to determine survival of each tagged seedling at the end of the study. Logistic regression indicated that variables important in predicting advance reproduction survival included initial seedling basal diameter, aspect, slope, canopy opening size, opening border tree height and treatment for control of understory competition. Survival probability ranged from 10% to 90% depending on the combination of and disposition of variables. For these small openings, the greatest probability of survival of advance reproduction resulted when advance reproduction initial basal diameters were ≥1 cm, when the height of trees bordering the openings were relatively short, with understory chemical competition control, in the largest canopy openings, on 6% slopes, and on southwest and northwest aspects. These criteria can help managers select sites and treatment options for group opening creation that provide optimal conditions for advance reproduction survival.

show abstract

Impacts of Wildfire Recency and Frequency on an Appalachian Oak Forest

Cited by 5 publications

References 40 publications

Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Properties and Erosion Potential in the Central Appalachian Region, USA

Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Properties and Erosion Potential in the Central Appalachian Region, USA

Long‐term response of oak‐hickory regeneration to partial harvest and repeated fires: influence of light and moisture

Survival of Quercus alba (White Oak) Advance Reproduction in Small Group and Single Tree Openings

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About