FIRE-THE MISSING INGREDIENT FOR NATURAL REGENERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SOUTHERN PINES

摘要

Pine-grassland woodlands were once a prevalent landscape component across the southeastern U.S. Frequent fire maintained these habitats as distinctly open, pine-dominated communities with a grass to shrub dominated understory. Large-scale agriculture, extensive logging and fire suppression have led to the replacement of pine-grassland woodlands with closed canopy pine-hardwood forest types and short-rotation pine plantations throughout the southeastern United States. Historical data and understanding gained from long-term small-scale experiments on fire frequency and regeneration response can enhance development of management strategies that emulate natural processes. Depending on when fire is introduced in regenerating stands, structural development will proceed in a generally predictable manner as an uneven-aged or even-aged structure. Longleaf (Pinus palustris) and shortleaf pine (P. echinata) are ecologically suited to regeneration with frequent fire. Such a strategy will avoid the necessity of pre-commercial thinning. Fire frequency will influence hardwood presence and pine (Pinus spp) species composition in a given stand. Implementing a restoration and ecological forestry plan may require thinning to restructure the system in a manner that is conducive to perpetuating it with fire, particularly where time is critical for conserving fire-dependant wildlife and plant species. Thinning strategies also influence regeneration and future stand structure. Uneven-aged management can be acost-effective strategy for forest landowners with small tracts.