Resistance is not futile: The response of hardwoods to fire-caused wounding

Elaine K. Sutherland; Kevin T. Smith

Treesearch

Resistance is not futile: The response of hardwoods to fire-caused wounding

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Elaine K. Sutherland, Kevin T. Smith

Year:

2000

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

In: Yaussy, Daniel A., comp. 2000. Proceedings: workshop on fire, people, and the central hardwoods landscape; 2000 March 12-14; Richmond, KY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-274. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 111-115.

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Abstract

Fires wound trees; but not all of them, and not always. Specific fire behavior and differences among tree species and individual trees produce variable patterns of wounding and wound response. Our work focuses on the relationships between fire behavior and tree biology to better understand how hardwood trees resist injury to the lower stem and either survive or succumb to low-intensity fire. Our objectives here were to 1) define and describe the wounding process, 2) to describe compartmentalization and wound closure and 3) to discuss species-specific differences among several common hardwood trees in the resistance to injury and resilience after wounding. Characteristics of fire scars are summarized.

Parent Publication

Proceedings: workshop on fire, people, and the central hardwoods landscape

Keywords

native burning, prescribed fire, prescribed burning, oak, mixed-oak, oakhickory, barrens, ridgetop-pine, soil microbes, rare plants

Citation

Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy; Smith, Kevin. 2000. Resistance is not futile: The response of hardwoods to fire-caused wounding. In: Yaussy, Daniel A., comp. 2000. Proceedings: workshop on fire, people, and the central hardwoods landscape; 2000 March 12-14; Richmond, KY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-274. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 111-115.