Estimating increased fuel loading within the Cross Timbers forest matrix of Oklahoma, USA due to an encroaching conifer, Juniperus virginiana, using leaf-off satellite imagery

Hoff, Daniel L.; Will, Rodney E.; Zou, Chris B.; Weir, J.R.; Gregory, Mark S.; Lillie, Nathan D.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.11.003

Cited by 26 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Future fire regimes also will be affected by ongoing changes within the Cross Timbers forests, particularly by J. virginiana encroachment. Increased fuel loading for wildfires results from this encroachment [20] and has the potential to cause stand replacing wildfires or widespread damage to overstory oaks [21]. Stand replacing fires do not have an analog in the known fire history of the Cross Timbers forests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measurements of the historical fire return interval pre-European American settlement ranged from 2.9-6.7 years [4][5][6][7][8]. Due to a combination of fire exclusion and favorable recruitment Once the forest areas were identified on each of the 25 properties [20], five field measurement plots per property (one larger property had ten field measurement plots) were randomly located within the forest interior using ArcMAP (Esri, Redlands, CA, USA). Plot locations were found in the field using the onboard GPS capability of an iPad Air (Apple, Cupertino, CA, USA) with an accuracy of roughly 5 m. Field plot centers were marked with a metal stake and tagged.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In regards to wildfire fuels, the growth of J. virginiana is particularly important. On these same sites, Hoff et al [20] measured that J. virginiana composed 18.4% of canopy cover and added 6.3 Mg ha −1 to available wildfire fuel. Given the large number of J. virginiana in the sapling size class, these values are in the process of increasing further.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Encroachment Dynamics of Juniperus virginiana L. and Mesic Hardwood Species into Cross Timbers Forests of North-Central Oklahoma, USA

Hoff

Will

Zou

et al. 2018

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cross Timbers forests, typically dominated by Quercus stellata Wangenh. and Q. marilandica Muenchh., are the transition zone between eastern deciduous forest and prairie in the southern Great Plains. Fire exclusion beginning in the mid-1900s has led to increasing stand density and encroachment of fire-intolerant Juniperus virginiana L. and mesic hardwood. We measured current forest structure and tree ages of 25 stands (130 plots) in north-central Oklahoma to characterize the extent and dynamics of encroachment. The respective basal area and stand density of the overstory (diameter at breast height; dbh > 10 cm) were 19.0 m 2 ha −1 and 407 trees ha −1 with Q. stellata comprising 43% of basal area and 42% of stand density. Quercus marilandica represented only 3% of basal area and 4% of overstory density. Juniperus virginiana represented 7% of basal area and 14% of stand density while mesic hardwoods, e.g., Celtis spp., Ulmus spp., Carya spp., 33% of basal area and stand density. The sapling layer was dominated by mesic hardwoods (68%) and J. virginiana (25%) while the seedling layer was dominated by mesic hardwoods (74%). The majority of Quercus recruited into the overstory between 1910-1970, while recruitment of J. virginiana and mesic hardwoods began more recently (post 1950s). Growth rate, based on the relationship between age and dbh, was faster for mesic hardwoods than for J. virginiana and Q. stellata. These results indicate that removal of recurrent surface fire as a disturbance agent has significantly altered forest composition in the Cross Timbers region by allowing encroachment of J. virginiana and fire-intolerant, mesic hardwoods. This increases wildfire risk because J. virginiana is very flammable and will alter how these forests respond to future drought and other disturbance events.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Encroachment Dynamics of Juniperus virginiana L. and Mesic Hardwood Species into Cross Timbers Forests of North-Central Oklahoma, USA

Hoff

Will

Zou

et al. 2018

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…and blackjack oak (Q. marilandica Münchh.). However, fire exclusion has increased woody species density and richness and allowed eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L., redcedar), a native, evergreen conifer, to encroach the prairie and infill the oak-dominated areas [5][6][7], which affects a large number of ecosystem services [8][9][10]. Encroachment of redcedar into grasslands increases ecosystem-level water use, resulting in a reduction of runoff and groundwater recharge potential [1,[11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stand-Level Transpiration Increases after Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) Encroachment into the Midstory of Oak Forests

Torquato

Will

Zhang

et al. 2020

Forests

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L., redcedar) encroachment is transitioning the oak-dominated Cross-Timbers of the southern Great Plain of the USA into mixed-species forests. However, it remains unknown how the re-assemblage of tree species in a semiarid to sub-humid climate affects species-specific water use and competition, and ultimately the ecosystem-level water budget. We selected three sites representative of oak, redcedar, and oak and redcedar mixed stands with a similar total basal area (BA) in a Cross-Timbers forest near Stillwater, Oklahoma. Sap flow sensors were installed in a subset of trees in each stand representing the distribution of diameter at breast height (DBH). Sap flow of each selected tree was continuously monitored over a period of 20 months, encompassing two growing seasons between May 2017 and December 2018. Results showed that the mean sap flow density (Sd) of redcedar was usually higher than post oaks (Quercus stellata Wangenh.). A structural equation model showed a significant correlation between Sd and shallow soil moisture for redcedar but not for post oak. At the stand level, the annual water use of the mixed species stand was greater than the redcedar or oak stand of similar total BA. The transition of oak-dominated Cross-Timbers to redcedar and oak mixed forest will increase stand-level transpiration, potentially reducing the water available for runoff or recharge to groundwater.

show abstract

“…However, it was reported to be a regular component of the understory in mature oak-hickory forests in central Missouri due to it being an evergreen conifer and able to maintain a positive CO2 balance throughout much of the year in a deciduous forest [21]. In study locations within North-central Oklahoma, redcedar encroaching into the mid story of the oakdominated Cross Timbers now composes 21% of the canopy cover [22]. The mechanism of redcedar to live both in open and understory settings is not well understood.…”

Section: Morphological and Physiological Traits Of Redcedarmentioning

confidence: 93%

Impact of Eastern Redcedar Proliferation on Water Resources in the Great Plains USA—Current State of Knowledge

Zou

Bielski

Fogarty

et al. 2018

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the Great Plains of the central United States, water resources for human and aquatic life rely primarily on surface runoff and local recharge from rangelands that are under rapid transformation to woodland by the encroachment of Eastern redcedar (redcedar; Juniperus virginiana) trees. In this synthesis, the current understanding and impact of redcedar encroachment on the water budget and water resources available for non-ecosystem use are reviewed. Existing studies concluded that the conversion from herbaceous-dominated rangeland to redcedar woodland increases precipitation loss to canopy interception and vegetation transpiration. The decrease of soil moisture, particularly for the subsurface soil layer, is widely documented. The depletion of soil moisture is directly related to the observed decrease in surface runoff, and the potential of deep recharge for redcedar encroached watersheds. Model simulations suggest that complete conversion of the rangelands to redcedar woodland at the watershed and basin scale in the South-central Great Plains would lead to reduced streamflow throughout the year, with the reductions of streamflow between 20 to 40% depending on the aridity of the climate of the watershed. Recommended topics for future studies include: (i) The spatial dynamics of redcedar proliferation and its impact on water budget across a regional hydrologic network; (ii) the temporal dynamics of precipitation interception by the herbaceous canopy; (iii) the impact of redcedar infilling into deciduous forests such as the Cross Timbers and its impact on water budget and water availability for non-ecosystem use; (iv) land surface and climate interaction and cross-scale hydrological modeling and forecasting; (v) impact of redcedar encroachment on sediment production and water quality; and (vi) assessment and efficacy of different redcedar control measures in restoring hydrological functions of watershed.

show abstract

Estimating increased fuel loading within the Cross Timbers forest matrix of Oklahoma, USA due to an encroaching conifer, Juniperus virginiana, using leaf-off satellite imagery

Cited by 26 publications

References 24 publications

Encroachment Dynamics of Juniperus virginiana L. and Mesic Hardwood Species into Cross Timbers Forests of North-Central Oklahoma, USA

Encroachment Dynamics of Juniperus virginiana L. and Mesic Hardwood Species into Cross Timbers Forests of North-Central Oklahoma, USA

Stand-Level Transpiration Increases after Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) Encroachment into the Midstory of Oak Forests

Impact of Eastern Redcedar Proliferation on Water Resources in the Great Plains USA—Current State of Knowledge

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About