scholarly journals Anthropogenic fire history and red oak forests in south-central Ontario

2000 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Dey ◽  
Richard P. Guyette

The regeneration and dominance of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) has been associated with fire throughout eastern North America. Red oak in central Ontario grows near the northern edge of its distribution in mixed hardwood-coniferous forests under mesic conditions where it competes with more shade-tolerant species. We hypothesized that the abundance of red oak in these stands was largely the result of anthropogenic burning and natural fires, which would favor the regeneration and recruitment of northern red oak over such shade-tolerant species as sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). Fire histories dating from the mid-1600s were constructed by dendrochronological methods from fire scars on stumps, trees, and natural remnants of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and red oak at six sites in south-central Ontario. Fire histories of the sites are characterized by abrupt changes in fire interval. As much or more variance in fire interval is found within sites as is found among sites. Differences in the mean fire interval among sites are related to the density and migration of historic aboriginal and European populations. The mean fire interval varied from more than 70 years to six years depending on site location and historic period. The occurrence and abundance of red oak is linked to anthropogenic fire regimes. Key words: northern red oak, white pine, fire history, ecology, anthropogenic, fire regime, dendrochronology

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1559-1569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Baisan ◽  
Thomas W. Swetnam

Modern fire records and fire-scarred remnant material collected from logs, snags, and stumps were used to reconstruct and analyze fire history in the mixed-conifer and pine forest above 2300 m within the Rincon Mountain Wilderness of Saguaro National Monument, Arizona, United States. Cross-dating of the remnant material allowed dating of fire events to the calendar year. Estimates of seasonal occurrence were compiled for larger fires. It was determined that the fire regime was dominated by large scale (> 200 ha), early-season (May–July) surface fires. The mean fire interval over the Mica Mountain study area for the period 1657–1893 was 6.1 years with a range of 1–13 years for larger fires. The mean fire interval for the mixed-conifer forest type (1748–1886) was 9.9 years with a range of 3–19 years. Thirty-five major fire years between 1700 and 1900 were compared with a tree-ring reconstruction of the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI). Mean July PDSI for 2 years prior to fires was higher (wetter) than average, while mean fire year PDSI was near average. This 490-year record of fire occurrence demonstrates the value of high-resolution (annual and seasonal) tree-ring analyses for documenting and interpreting temporal and spatial patterns of past fire regimes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 298 ◽  
pp. 71-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Waskiewicz ◽  
Laura Kenefic ◽  
Aaron Weiskittel ◽  
Robert Seymour

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 503-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. Kolb ◽  
T. W. Bowersox ◽  
L. H. McCormick

Growth of northern red oak (Quercusrubra L.), white ash (Fraxinusamericana L.), and white pine (Pinusstrobus L.) seedlings was evaluated for 2 years after germination in 12 environments that consisted of four levels of herbaceous interference (fern, fern free, grass, grass free) crossed with three levels of light intensity (100, 45, and 20% full sun), at two clear-cuts in central Pennsylvania. Grass and fern interference reduced soil moisture content and reduced height or diameter growth of all species. Shading ameliorated soil moisture, reduced herbaceous growth, generally reduced growth of all tree species in interference-free environments, and had no effect on growth of any tree species in fern and grass environments. Reduction in growth due to herbaceous interference was lower for northern red oak and white pine than for white ash, while shading had similar effects on growth of all species. Results suggest that stresses induced by shading alone have little short-term effect on the establishment of these species under conditions of heavy herbaceous interference.


2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 629-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa W. Alexander ◽  
Keith E. Woeste

We developed a novel scoring system to assess spring phenology in a northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) clonal seed orchard. The system was used to score from 304 to 364 ramets for three reproductive seasons and to place clones into early, intermediate, and late phenology classes. Although the absolute number of clones in each phenological class changed from year to year, the overall order of clonal flowering was highly stable (rs = 0.67, p < 0.001). Early-flowering clones flowered significantly longer than later flowering clones in all 3 years. Dichogamy was present in the orchard, with male flowers of a clone emerging from 1.4 to 3.0 d sooner than its female flowers. Mean dichogamy values for individual clones ranged from 0.0 to 4.9 (± 1.3) d. Year strongly influenced a clone’s dichogamy value (F = 6.0, p = 0.004), whereas genotype had no influence. The mean overall phenological synchronicity for the 3 years of observations was 0.30 ± 0.01 or about 30% overlap between the time when females were receptive and males were shedding pollen. This study represents the first effort to quantify phenology in an artificial population of northern red oak, and it provides a snapshot of the current relationship between temperature, phenology, and floral synchronization.


1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 582-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald C. Pitcher

The relationship between historical fires and age structure was examined on three plots in red fir (Abiesmagnifica var. shastensis Lemm.) forests within Sequoia National Park, California, U.S.A. All trees greater than 0.1 m in height were mapped and aged. Fire history was determined from 16 fire-scar sections. Red fir trees are more shade tolerant, longer lived, larger, and slower growing than western white pine (Pinusmonticola Dougl.) on the plots. No fires have occurred since 1886, but prior to that time the average fire-free interval was 65 years. Most of the trees on two of the plots originated after fires, but on the third plot red fir regeneration was delayed for at least 60 years following the last fire. Structural differences between the plots were linked to variations in fire behavior. The decrease in fire frequencies in this century may have led to a decrease in red fir establishment. Excluding the most recent period, the forest age structure is in something of a steady state that approximates a negative exponential age-class distribution.


1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. McGill ◽  
Robert Rogers ◽  
A. Jeff Martin ◽  
Paul S. Johnson

Abstract Stocking equations and charts for stands dominated by northern red oak were developed from data collected on 66 plots in 52 northern red oak stands in Wisconsin. In all plots, northern red oak was the dominant species. Tolerant species such as sugar maple and red maple usually formed a subcanopy. We used the tree-area ratio method for measuring stocking. However, we treated the tolerant subcanopy as a separate component of stocking. This facilitated defining average maximum relative stand density (100% stocking)for the main canopy or the main canopy and subcanopy combined.This approach is based on the assumption that shade tolerant species can exploit resources in spatial strata that are unexploited by the mid-tolerant red oak. The resulting stocking equations and charts can provide an objective basis for evaluating stocking of northern red oak stands in Wisconsin.North. J. Appl. For. 16(3):144-150.


Fire Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren F. Howard ◽  
Gabriel D. Cahalan ◽  
Kristyn Ehleben ◽  
Baaqeyah Amala Muhammad El ◽  
Hope Halza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Our study was designed to reveal a detailed forest fire history at Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland, USA. We compared the ages of living trees to known fire dates in the dendrochronological record. Seasonality and years of fires in the dendrochronological record were juxtaposed with specific dates of fires recorded in newspapers. Results Twenty-seven pines (Pinus L.) captured 122 fire scars representing 58 distinct fire years between 1702 and 1951. Climate was significantly hotter and drier in the years of burns that affected at least two trees and was wetter two years prior. Thirty-three fires described in local newspapers were reported largely in the spring and fall months (68% between March and June, 32% between September and December). Ninety-one percent of fire scars in our tree-ring chronology had dormant seasonality. The mean fire interval was 5.47 ± 10.14 (SD; standard deviation) yr, and the Weibull median fire interval was 3.22 yr during the entire chronology. The longest fire-free interval was from 1952 to 2018. The size structure of living trees was biased toward smaller black gums (Nyssa sylvatica Marshall) and oaks (Quercus L.) that recruited in the 1930s and 1940s. Most living pitch pines (Pinus rigida Mill) recruited between 1890 and 1910, but a few individuals recruited before the 1850s. Diversity of tree stems smaller than 10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) was generally lacking; the youngest tree >10 cm DBH in our study area had recruited by 1967. Conclusions The Catoctin Mountains experienced frequent fire during the 1800s and early 1900s. The causes of fires were diverse, including accidental ignitions and purposeful cultural burning for berry (Vaccinium L.) production. The current forest developed during a period of low deer density and after the demise of the charcoal iron industry ended an era of logging. The lack of fire since the 1950s has encouraged the development of a black gum dominated mid- and understory. Management with frequent fire would facilitate pine and oak regeneration.


1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry H. McCormick ◽  
David H. Allen ◽  
John W. Groninger ◽  
Todd W. Bowersox

Abstract Sulfometuron (Oust®) and glyphosate (Roundup®) were applied separately and as tank mixes to plots direct seeded with northern red oak, white ash, and white pine. Treatments included applications of glyphosate, sulfometuron (low and high rate), sulfometuron (low and high rate) + glyphosate, and an untreated control. Results after 2 years showed no effect of sulfometuron at either rate on the emergence of northern red oak and white ash. Emergence of white pine was reduced by both rates of sulfometuron alone or in combination with glyphosate. Sulfometuron at the higher rate alone or in combination with glyphosate reduced the height growth of northern red oak and white ash, and increased first-year mortality of northern red oak. Height growth and first-year survival of white pine was not affected by either rate of sulfometuron. Glyphosate alone or in combination with sulfometuron at the lower rate had no adverse effect on the emergence or seedling growth of northern red oak, white ash, or white pine. North. J. Appl. For. 8(1):9-11


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