Long-Term Effects of Prescribed Fire and Thinning on Residual Tree Growth in Mixed-Oak Forests of Southern Ohio

The high density of fuel accumulated in the Mediterranean ecosystems due to land abandonment results in high severity fires. Traditional fire practices and livestock grazing have played an important role in shaping the structure and composition of Mediterranean landscapes, and both can be efficient tools to manage them now that land abandonment is widespread. Attempts at controlling forest fires are essential for landscape management practices that, in their turn, seek to maintain a specific species composition. Against this backdrop, this study aims to determine the short- and long-term effects of the combined management practices of prescribed fires and goat grazing on the chemical properties of soils in Tivissa, Tarragona (NE Iberian Peninsula). Forty-two samples were collected in a 4 × 18 m plot before the prescribed fire of 2002 (1), immediately after the 2002 prescribed fire (PF) (2), one year after the 2002 PF (3), three years after the 2002 PF (4), and thirteen years after the 2002 PF (5). Soil samples were taken at each sampling point from the top layer (0–5 cm), sieved to obtain a <2 mm fraction, and soil pH, EC, Total C, total N, available P, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ were determined. The results indicate that the short-term effects of fire are more relevant than those attributable to the livestock over the long term due to the low grazing intensity of less than one goat per ha. The long-term effects of prescribed fires were not visible in the research, suggesting that they recovered after burning with all their functions intact and with enhanced levels of natural fertility. Combined land management practices of prescribed fire and livestock grazing did not affect soil chemical properties. The applied management enhanced soil fertility and boosted the ecosystem’s resilience.

Download Full-text

The relationship between forest management and amphibian ecology: a review of the North American literature

Environmental Reviews ◽

10.1139/a95-012 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 3 (3-4) ◽

pp. 230-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 247

Author(s):

Phillip G. deMaynadier ◽

Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Prescribed Fire ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Forest Harvesting ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Clear Cutting ◽

Forest Practices ◽

Logging Roads

Questions about the compatibility of forest harvesting practices and conservation of biological diversity are largely driven by concerns that habitat quality for many species may be degraded in intensively managed forest landscapes. We review the literature on relationships between common forest harvesting practices and the distribution and abundance of amphibians, a group that has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their potential ecological importance in forest ecosystems and because of reports of widespread population declines. Clear-cut harvesting generally has negative short-term impacts on local amphibian populations, especially salamanders. An analysis of the results of 18 studies that examined the effects of clear-cutting on amphibians yielded a 3.5-fold median difference in abundance of amphibians on controls over clear-cuts. However, research on the influence of forest age suggests that the long-term effects of forest harvesting on amphibians are variable, and for many species these effects can be mitigated if regeneration practices leave adequate microhabitat structure intact. In contrast, long-term effects can be significant in forest plantations, which are often associated with intensive site preparations and stand management practices that modify levels of coarse woody debris and other microhabitats. Other forest practices reviewed for their effect on amphibians include prescribed fire, logging roads, and streamside harvesting. We discuss problems commonly encountered in the experimental design and measurement of forest amphibian populations, including a notable lack of pretreatment data, and outline several aspects of amphibian–forestry relationships in need of further research. Management recommendations relevant to conserving upland and riparian zone amphibian habitat during forest harvesting are offered.Key words: amphibians, clear-cutting, coarse woody debris, forest management, logging roads, plantations, prescribed fire, riparian, succession.

Download Full-text

Short- and long-term effects of thinning and prescribed fire on carbon stocks in ponderosa pine stands in northern Arizona

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2010.10.031 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 261 (3) ◽

pp. 460-472 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

C.D. Sorensen ◽

A.J. Finkral ◽

T.E. Kolb ◽

C.H. Huang

Keyword(s):

Prescribed Fire ◽

Ponderosa Pine ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Northern Arizona ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Pine Stands

Download Full-text

(92) Preplant Practices to Manage Armillaria Root Rot Disease and Other Soil Pathogens on a Commercial Peach Replant Site

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.41.4.1028d ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 1028D-1029

Author(s):

Desmond R. Layne ◽

Guido Schnabel

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Tree Growth ◽

Methyl Bromide ◽

Root Rot ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Soil Pathogens ◽

Armillaria Root Rot

In 2003, a replicated long-term research trial was established on a commercial peach replant site with a history of Armillaria root rot and other soilborne diseases. The objectives of the trial were to determine the short- and long-term effects of preplant fumigation, rootstock, and preplant root dipping with mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria on tree growth, productivity, and survival. Preplant fumigants included none (control), methyl bromide, Telone II, or Enzone. Rootstocks tested included Guardian, Lovell, and Halford. Root dipping (or not) was with MycorTree. The scion cultivar was Big Red. There were a total of 24 experimental treatment combinations and the trial site comprised more than 1500 trees on 11.5 acres. By 2 years after planting, fumigation with Enzone was disadvantageous when compared with no treatment at all. Enzone-treated blocks had higher tree mortality or were significantly reduced in growth compared to other treatments. Preplant fumigation with Telone II or methyl bromide, however, resulted in reduced tree stunting and phytotoxicity and increased tree growth when compared to the untreated control. After 2 years, 10% of the total trees planted were dead. Half of these were from the Enzone treatment. Enzone does not appear to be a viable preplant fumigation product for South Carolina peach growers, based on this preliminary data. Both Guardian and Halford rootstocks had performance superior to Lovell during the first 2 years. Although Guardian trees were smaller than Halford at the time of planting, by the end of the second growing season, their TCA was not significantly different. There was no benefit to preplant root dipping with MycorTree. Experimental results were not influenced by the location of trees on the site.

Download Full-text