Fire Ecology and Management of Forest Ecosystems in the Western Central Hardwoods and Prairie-Forest Border

Stambaugh, Michael C.; Knapp, Benjamin O.; Dey, Daniel C.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-73267-7_5

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 176 publications

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“…Our study area was historically dominated by oaks, hickories, and pines. Today, most of the forest areas have been replaced by agriculture and rapid urbanization [27]. In our study area, there are deciduous types of forests such as oaks (Quercus spp.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Spatial Pattern of White Oak (Quercus alba) Mortality and its Relationship with Soil Properties across the Eastern United States

Khadka¹,

He²,

Bardhan³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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White oak mortality is a significant concern in forest ecosystems due to its impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Understanding the factors influencing white oak mortality, particularly the soil properties, is crucial for effective forest management and conservation efforts. In this study, we aimed to investigate the spatial pattern of white oak mortality and examine the influence of soil properties on mortality rates. Multicycle Forest Inventory and Analysis data were compiled to capture all white oaks across the eastern US. White oak tree mortality data were collected across plot systems that utilized Diameter at Breast Height between two periods. Soil variables were analyzed to assess soil properties. Spatial analysis techniques, including geostatistics and regression modeling, were used to analyze the relationship between white oak mortality and soil characteristics. Results found clustered spatial patterns of white oak mortality across a broad scale depicting the significant effects of coarser soil textures (p = 0.00), nutrient-deficient sites, and extreme soil moisture levels (p <0.1). Our findings demonstrated the importance of soil properties in shaping the spatial pattern of white oak mortality rate. This idea can inform forest management practices for the conservation of white oak populations. Future research is needed for comprehensive soil assessment including biotic and abiotic factors for forest management strategies at a broader scale aimed at mitigating white oak mortality.

show abstract

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Spatial Pattern of White Oak (Quercus alba) Mortality and its Relationship with Soil Properties across the Eastern United States

Khadka¹,

He²,

Bardhan³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our study area was historically dominated by oaks, hickories, and pines. Today, most of the forest areas have been replaced by agriculture and rapid urbanization [44,48]. In our study area, there are deciduous types of forests such as oaks (Quercus spp.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Spatial Pattern of White Oak (Quercus alba) Mortality and its Relationship with Soil Properties across the Eastern United States

Khadka,

He,

Bardhan

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

White oak mortality is a significant concern in forest ecosystems due to its impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Understanding the factors influencing white oak mortality, particularly the soil properties, is crucial for effective forest management and conservation efforts. In this study, we aimed to investigate the spatial pattern of white oak mortality and examine the influence of soil properties on mortality rates. Multicycle Forest Inventory and Analysis data were compiled to capture white oak plots across the eastern US. White oak mortality data were collected across plot systems that utilized Diameter at Breast Height between two periods. Soil variables were analyzed to assess soil properties. Spatial analysis techniques, including geostatistics and regression modeling, were used to analyze the relationship between white oak mortality and soil characteristics. Results found clustered spatial patterns of white oak mortality across a broad scale depicting the significant effects of coarser soil textures, nutrient-deficient sites, and extreme soil moisture levels. Our findings demonstrated the importance of soil properties in shaping the spatial pattern of the white oak mortality rate. This idea can inform forest management practices for the conservation of white oak populations. Future research is needed for comprehensive soil assessment including biotic and abiotic factors for forest management strategies at a broader scale aimed at mitigating white oak mortality.

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Managing forward while looking back: reopening closed forests to open woodlands and savannas

Pile Knapp,

Dey,

Stambaugh

et al. 2024

fire ecol

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Background Ecosystem management, community restoration, and managing for climate resilience have become major priorities of land management in recent decades. For woodlands and savannas (i.e., “open forests”), this transition has meant moving fire-deprived, closed-canopy forests to structures and compositions characteristic of natural communities that are rare today: open-grown, wide-spreading trees, and endemic flora and fauna associated with frequent, low to moderate intensity fires. Open forest restoration is complex; its approach and operational prescriptions are dependent on a multitude of factors. Reopening forests to achieve ecological objectives associated with open forests is hampered by site histories, novel species compositions, and structures that resist fire. Results Fire histories shed light on fire regimes that promote open forests, informing prescriptions at stand and landscape levels, but due to many social and environmental factors, managers are challenged to recreate those fire regimes. As fire was removed from these ecosystems, successional processes led to changes in species compositions concomitant with changes in woody structure and fuel complexes further inhibiting restoration without active management. As active management aims to transition residing fine fuels from mesophytic hardwood-shrub litter to herbaceous dominant fuels with canopy openness, fire effects, and prescriptions also change. Silvicultural prescriptions have been developed to aid in the process of transition but maintaining mature, continuous canopy open forests through the regeneration and recruitment phase of predominantly shade intolerant of oaks and pines remains speculative. Further, as a legacy of woody densification, contemporary fire practices may result in undesirable increases in sprouting woody species impacting objectives for herbaceous cover and diversity. Invasive plants and depauperate seed banks may further limit successful outcomes. Conclusions Even with these formidable challenges, transitioning closed forests to open structures and compositions is critically important for wildlife that depend on them, especially at the size, scale, and connectivity necessary to sustain their populations. Many birds and pollinators of conservation concern require open forests and early successional forests may not serve as surrogates for mature, open forest habitat. In this review, we outline the advances, challenges, and importance for reopening closed canopied forests to open forests in the central and midsouth, USA. Further, we set the stage for new approaches and learned outcomes from the papers of the 7th Fire in Eastern Oak Forests Conference in Tyler, TX, included in this special collection of Fire Ecology.

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Fire Ecology and Management of Forest Ecosystems in the Western Central Hardwoods and Prairie-Forest Border

Cited by 4 publications

References 176 publications

Identifying Spatial Pattern of White Oak (Quercus alba) Mortality and its Relationship with Soil Properties across the Eastern United States

Identifying Spatial Pattern of White Oak (Quercus alba) Mortality and its Relationship with Soil Properties across the Eastern United States

Identifying Spatial Pattern of White Oak (Quercus alba) Mortality and its Relationship with Soil Properties across the Eastern United States

Managing forward while looking back: reopening closed forests to open woodlands and savannas

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