Site preparation burning to improve southern Appalachian pine-hardwood stands: photosynthesis, water relations, and growth of planted Pinus strobus during establishment

Abstract

Fire is now prescribed as a silvicultural treatment to restore low-diversity, low-productivity sites in southern Appalachian forests.Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) is then planted on many of these sites to provide a mixed pine-oak forest type (see Swift et al. 1993).Fire reduces sprout vigor, which delays growth of Kalmia latifolia L., a common understory shrub competitor, and encourages tree species such as oak to sprout from the groundline and thereby produce oak that are less likely to develop rot (Van Lear 1991). A major objective of fire is to reduce competition to the planted seedlings; however, little is known regarding the effectiveness of the treatment.

Citation

Elliott, Katherine J.; Vose, James M. 1993. Site preparation burning to improve southern Appalachian pine-hardwood stands: photosynthesis, water relations, and growth of planted Pinus strobus during establishment. Can. J. For. Res. 23: 2278-2285. 8p.