Characteristics of mixed-oak forest ecosystems in southern Ohio prior to the reintroduction of fire

Abstract

Mixed-oak forests occupied much of the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau region of southern Ohio at the onset of Euro-American settlement (ca. 1800). Historically, Native Americans used fire to manage the landscape and fire was frequent throughout the 19 th and early 20 th centuries during extensive forest harvesting and then re-growth. Today, though mixed-oak forests remain dominant across much of the region, oak regeneration is often poor as other tree species (e.g., maples) are becoming much more abundant. This shift has occurred concurrently with fire suppression policies that began in 1923. A multidisciplinary experiment was initiated in southern Ohio to explore the use of prescribed fire as a tool to improve the sustainability of mixed-oak forests. This report describes the experimental design and study areas, and provides baseline data on ecosystem characteristics prior to prescribed fire treatments. Chapters describe forest history, an integrated moisture index, geology and soils, understory light environments, understory vegetation, tree regeneration, overstory vegetation, foliar nutrient status, arthropods, and breeding birds.

Effects of fire alone or combined with thinning on tissue nutrient concentrations and nutrient resorption in Desmodium nudiflorum

“…The sites are underlain predominantly by sandstones and shales of Pennsylvanian Age. Soils are mostly loams and silt loans that are acidic and well drained (Sutherland and Hutchinson 2003). These sites are typical of oak-dominated stands in the eastern deciduous forest of North America.…”

Soil Nitrogen Transformations Under Alternative Management Strategies in Appalachian Forests

“…1). The forests of the region developed between 1850 and 1900, after the cessation of cutting for the charcoal and Fe industries (Sutherland et al, 2003). The current canopy composition differs little from that recorded in the original land surveys of the early 1800s ( Fig.…”

Effects of prescribed fire and thinning on tree recruitment patterns in central hardwood forests

“…Based on historical records, 60% of forests in many sections of southeastern Ohio were clearcut down to 10 cm diameter trees between 1850 and 1860. Low-to moderate-intensity surface fires were common during this period; dendrochronological data from local hardwood stands indicate a median fire return interval of <5 years in local forests, until effective fire-suppression policies began in 1932 (Sutherland, 1997;McCarthy et al, 2001;Sutherland and Hutchinson, 2003). Post-settlement fires in southern Ohio predominantly occurred in the dormant season, the period of tree cambium inactivity (Sutherland, 1997).…”