Fire history, population, and calcium cycling in the current river watershed

Abstract

Quantitative details about past anthropogenic fire regimes and their effects have been lacking in the central hardwood region. Here, we present fire scar chronologies from 23 oak-shortleaf pine (Quercus spp. and Pinus echinata Mill.) sites in the upper Current River watershed of the Missouri Ozarks. Dendrochronological methods were used to date 2,004 fire scars from 150 shortleaf pine sections with from 100 to more than 300 rings. Fire scar chronologies were constructed from scars dating back 200 to 400 years ago. The average mean fire-free intervals (MFI) calculated for the sites by time period are: the de-populated period, 1580-1700, MFI= 17.7 years; the Native American re-population period, 1701-1820, MFI= 12.4 years; and the Euro-American settlement period, 1821-1940, MFI=3.7 years. Fire frequency was more variable among and within sites during the Native American period (1701-1820) than during the period of Euro-American settlement (1821-1940). The percentage of sites burned annually before 1850 is correlated (r=0.87, p

Citation

Guyette, Richard P.; Cutter, Bruce E. 1997. Fire history, population, and calcium cycling in the current river watershed. In: Pallardy, Stephen G.; Cecich, Robert A.; Garrett, H. Gene; Johnson, Paul S., eds. Proceedings of the 11th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-188. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station: 354-372