Response of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to fire and fire surrogate fuel reduction treatments in a southern Appalachian hardwood forest

From 2001–2018, a series of fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration treatments were implemented in the southern Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Treatments consisted of prescribed fire (four burns), mechanical cutting of understory shrubs and mid-story trees (two cuttings), and a combination of both cutting and prescribed fire (two cuts + four burns). Soils were sampled in 2018 to determine potential treatment impacts for O horizon and mineral soil (0–10 cm depth) carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and mineral soil calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and pH. Results suggested that mean changes in O horizon C and N and mineral soil C, N, C:N, Ca, and P from 2001–2018 differed between the treatments, but only mineral soil C, N, C:N, and Ca displayed differences between at least one fuel reduction treatment and the untreated control. One soils-related restoration objective was mineral soil N reduction and the cut + burn treatment best achieved this result. Increased organic matter recalcitrance was another priority, but this was not obtained with any treatment. When paired with previously reported fuels and vegetation results from this site, it appeared that continued use of the cut + burn treatment may best achieve long-term management objectives for this site and other locations being managed for similar long-term restoration and fuels management objectives.

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Response of soricid populations to repeated fire and fuel reduction treatments in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2009.02.006 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 257 (9) ◽

pp. 1939-1944 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Charlotte E. Matthews ◽

Christopher E. Moorman ◽

Cathryn H. Greenberg ◽

Thomas A. Waldrop

Keyword(s):

Appalachian Mountains ◽

Fuel Reduction ◽

Southern Appalachian Mountains ◽

Southern Appalachian

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Effects of Fuel Reduction Treatments on Incidence of Phytophthora Species in Soil of a Southern Appalachian Mountain Forest

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-07-10-0505 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 95 (7) ◽

pp. 811-820 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

I. M. Meadows ◽

D. C. Zwart ◽

S. N. Jeffers ◽

T. A. Waldrop ◽

W. C. Bridges

Keyword(s):

Prescribed Burning ◽

Phytophthora Cinnamomi ◽

Phytophthora Species ◽

Mountain Forest ◽

Fuel Reduction ◽

Appalachian Mountain ◽

Phytophthora Spp ◽

Southern Appalachian ◽

Southern Appalachian Mountain ◽

Mountain Laurel

The National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study was initiated to study the effects of fuel reduction treatments on forest ecosystems. Four fuel reduction treatments were applied to three sites in a southern Appalachian Mountain forest in western North Carolina: prescribed burning, mechanical fuel reduction, mechanical fuel reduction followed by prescribed burning, and a nontreated control. To determine the effects of fuel reduction treatments on Phytophthora spp. in soil, incidences were assessed once before and twice after fuel reduction treatments were applied. Also, the efficiency of the baiting bioassay used to detect species of Phytophthora was evaluated, and the potential virulence of isolates of Phytophthora spp. collected from forest soils was determined. Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. heveae were the only two species recovered from the study site. Incidences of these species were not significantly affected by fuel reduction treatments, but incidence of P. cinnamomi increased over time. In the baiting bioassay, camellia leaf disks were better than hemlock needles as baits. P. cinnamomi was detected best in fresh soil, whereas P. heveae was detected best when soil was air-dried and remoistened prior to baiting. Isolates of P. heveae were weakly virulent and, therefore, potentially pathogenic—causing lesions only on wounded mountain laurel and rhododendron leaves; however, isolates of P. cinnamomi were virulent and caused root rot and mortality on mountain laurel and white pine plants.

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