Seven years later: effects of wildfire in a young stand of Virginia pine and hardwoods

Abstract

In November 1952 a hot surface fire burned through part of a 30-year-old Virginia pine-hardwood stand near Beltsville, Md. Observations were made for the next 2 years to evaluate the effects of this type of fire under these stand conditions. The main direct effects during the 2 years, as reported by Church in 1955, were: 45 percent mortality of trees 1 inch d.b.h. and larger, principally in the smaller size classes; and destruction of any pine seedlings that may have been present. An indirect effect, on the credit side, was the establishment of almost 11,000 pine seedlings per acre on the burn. During these 2 years, only 250 pine seedlings per acre became established in an unburned portion of the same stand.

Citation

Fenton, Richard H. 1960. Seven years later: effects of wildfire in a young stand of Virginia pine and hardwoods. Forest Research Note NE-100. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 1-4