Repeated burning alters the structure and composition of hardwood regeneration in oak-dominated forests of eastern Kentucky, USA
| Autor: | Tara L. Keyser, David L. Loftis, Mary A. Arthur |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Ecology media_common.quotation_subject Growing season Forestry Understory Management Monitoring Policy and Law Biology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Competition (biology) Disturbance (ecology) Abundance (ecology) Hardwood Composition (visual arts) Regeneration (ecology) 010606 plant biology & botany Nature and Landscape Conservation media_common |
| Zdroj: | Forest Ecology and Management. 393:1-11 |
| ISSN: | 0378-1127 |
| Popis: | The exclusion of anthropogenic fire is a primary factor responsible for the ‘mesophication’ of eastern oak (Quercus) forests and resultant oak regeneration problems. Consequently, the reintroduction of fire is increasingly used to promote the establishment and growth of oak and hickory (Carya) and control competition from shade-tolerant species (e.g., red maple (Acer rubrum)) in the forest understory. In this study, we examined the effects of fire frequency on the abundance of prominent species in the woody regeneration layer in oak-dominated forests of eastern Kentucky. Treatments included: (1) fire-excluded (FE); (2) frequent fire (FF) – five burns over nine years, and (3) less-frequent fire (LFF) – two burns over seven years. Prior to burning (2002) and again five and seven growing seasons following the cessation of burning in the FF and LFF treatments (2015), respectively, we inventoried tree species in the woody regeneration layer into three size classes: (1) small seedlings (stems |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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