Impact of prescribed fire on understory and forest floor nutrients

Walter A. Hough

doi:10.2737/SE-RN-303

Treesearch

Impact of prescribed fire on understory and forest floor nutrients

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Walter A. Hough

Year:

1981

Type:

Research Note

Station:

Southern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/SE-RN-303

Source:

Res. Note SE-303. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 4 p.

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Abstract

The impact of low-intensity prescribed fires on slash pine/saw-palmetto/gallberry understory and forest floor nutrients was estimated from measurements before and after burning. Highly significant correlations existed between weight loss of these fuel components and the weight loss of several elements. Energy loss was also highly correlated with forestfloor and understory weight loss. The data also indicate that annual or biennial burns do not reduce the macronutrients in the soil surface layer. but, in fact, increase them; and that even though a significant amount of N (11O kg/ha) may be lost by burning a Syear fuel accumulation there still is 160 kg/ha of N in the ash and residue following the fire. as well as about 700 kg/ha in the upper 10 cm of the soil profile.

Keywords

serenoa repens, Ilex glabra, Pinuselliortii, pinuspalustris, pine/ saw-palmetto / gallberry, macronutrients, micronutrients

Citation

Hough, Walter A. 1981. Impact of prescribed fire on understory and forest floor nutrients. Res. Note SE-303. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station. 4 p.