Presettlement Forests of the Unglaciated Portion of Southern Illinois

Impact of multiple fires on stand structure and tree regeneration in central Appalachian oak forests

“…Prior to European settlement, oaks grew successfully in uneven-aged forests over the long term (Orwig and Abrams, 1995;Abrams et al, 1997;Shumway et al, 2001;Rentch et al, 2003). Although there is no reliable source of data regarding tree density in pre-settlement central Appalachian oak forests, estimates of closed-canopy Midwestern oak forests at the time of European contact rarely exceed 250 trees/ha (Kline and Cottam, 1979;Rodgers and Anderson, 1979;Leitner and Jackson, 1981). A regime of frequent, low intensity fire that kills occasional trees or groups of trees was thought to have perpetuated oak as a gap-phase species (Cottam, 1949;Kline and Cottam, 1979;Lorimer, 1993;Abrams, 1992).…”

Clarifying the role of fire in the deciduous forests of eastern North America: reply to Matlack

“…," citing their lack of "insulating bark, serotinous cones, epicormic sprouting, resprouting from rhizome buds and root suckers, germination cued by combustion products, nonlinear seedling (Hanberry et al 2014), and their widespread decline has been primarily attributed to altered fire regimes (Nowacki & Abrams 2008). References: 1, Hanberry et al (2014); 2, Cogbill et al (2002); 3, Thompson et al (2013); 4, Hanberry et al (2013); 5, Leitner & Jackson (1981);6, Dyer (2001). growth, a germination requirement for brightly lit mineral soil, and basal sprouting." Plant fire-adaptive traits are diverse (Bond & van Wilgen 1996), and 2 dominant genera (Table 1), oaks (Quercus) and hickories (Carya), are overwhelmingly epicormic and basal sprouters (Burns & Honkala 1990).…”

Restoration of Midwestern U.S. Savannas: One Size Does Not Fit All

“…Vestal (1919) described the undrained flats of Cumberland County, Illinois, as being characterized by “scattering Populus deltoides and Ulmus species rather than Northern pin oak ( Q . ellipsoidalis ).”Leitner and Jackson (1981) later mentioned that bottomland “forests” of southern Illinois contained many Quercus species including widely spaced Q. bicolor of large diameter. In contrast, there is little evidence for savannas on the historical Mississippi alluvial floodplain south of our study region (Nelson 1997).…”