The effect of a prescribed fire on nutrient concentration and standing crop of understory vegetation in ponderosa pine

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary R. Harris ◽  
W. Wallace Covington
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Understory Biomass ◽  
Consistent Response

Understory vegetation from sawtimber, pole, and sapling strata was sampled for biomass and nutrient concentrations, the summer following a fall-prescribed fire in ponderosa pine on basalt soils in Arizona, United States. Nutrient concentrations were generally higher on burned than unburned plots, with striking differences among overstory strata. K showed the most consistent response, while N showed the greatest increase in magnitude. The greatest increases in nutrients were in the sawtimber stratum, where Festucaarizonica Vasey and the miscellaneous grasses category were at times twice as high in N concentration on the burned sites. Differences in understory biomass were most obvious in September when both pole and sapling strata were twice as high on burned plots as controls. These production and nutrient responses varied highly depending on species considered, overstory type, and season. However, in general this prescribed fire appears to have increased nutrient availability, stimulating understory production and increasing nutrient concentration thus improving forage quality for both livestock and wildlife.

scholarly journals Site Productivity and Soil Conditions on Terraced Ponderosa Pine Sites in Western Montana

1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Zlatnik ◽  
T. H. DeLuca ◽  
K. S. Milner ◽  
D. F. Potts
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Usda Forest Service ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Mechanical Site Preparation ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Understory Biomass

Abstract The USDA Forest Service built terraces on the Bitterroot National Forest in the 1960s and 1970s as a means of mechanical site preparation prior to machine-planting ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in clearcuts. We examined the influence of terracing on planted ponderosa pine and soil characteristics more than 20 yr after site treatment and planting. Replicated plots at three separate paired (terraced/unterraced) sites were measured for tree diameter at breast height (dbh), total tree volume, planted tree volume and height, and understory biomass. Soil samples were analyzed for total C, Bray-1 extractable P, exchangeable K, soil pH, soil water-holding capacity, and particle size distribution. Terraced sites had significantly higher tree volumes, heights, and dbh, and higher silt contents than unterraced sites. Two of the three terraced sites also had greater understory biomass than the unterraced sites. Soil C and nutrient concentrations on terraced and unterraced pairs were generally similar. West. J. Appl. For. 14(1):35-40.

Reproductive output of ponderosa pine in response to thinning and prescribed burning in western Montana

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Peters ◽  
Anna Sala
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Western Montana ◽  
Cone Production

Thinning and thinning followed by prescribed fire are common management practices intended to restore historic conditions in low-elevation ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) forests of the northern Rocky Mountains. While these treatments generally ameliorate the physiology and growth of residual trees, treatment-specific effects on reproductive output are not known. We examined reproductive output of second-growth ponderosa pine in western Montana 9 years after the application of four treatments: thinning, thinning followed by spring prescribed fire, thinning followed by fall prescribed fire, and unthinned control stands. Field and greenhouse observations indicated that reproductive traits vary depending on the specific management treatment. Cone production was significantly higher in trees from all actively managed stands relative to control trees. Trees subjected to prescribed fire produced cones with higher numbers of filled seeds than trees in unburned treatments. Seed mass, percentage germination, and seedling biomass were significantly lower for seeds from trees in spring burn treatments relative to all others and were generally higher in trees from fall burn treatments. We show for the first time that thinning and prescribed-burning treatments can influence reproductive output in ponderosa pine.

scholarly journals Estimating aboveground live understory vegetation carbon in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 125010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristofer D Johnson ◽  
Grant M Domke ◽  
Matthew B Russell ◽  
Brian Walters ◽  
John Hom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Carbon

Performance differences in Pinus radiata progeny with differing site nutrient availability

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2410-2423 ◽  
Author(s):  
S D Carson ◽  
M F Skinner ◽  
A T Lowe ◽  
M O Kimberley
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Pinus Radiata ◽  
Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Radiata Pine ◽  
Substantial Improvement ◽  
Treatment Combination ◽  
Control Seed ◽  
Foliar Nutrient ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Selection Of

Two intensive harvesting trials with contrasting nutrient capital were examined for genetic × environment interactions to age 5 years after planting. Treatments included differences in removal of organic matter and in site preparation and weed control, with each treatment having both fertilized and nonfertilized plots. Three harvest treatments (both fertilized and nonfertilized) were common to both sites, with two additional treatments at one site. There were four replicate plots of each treatment combination at each site, with two trees from each of three control seed lots and 47 open-pollinated families chosen to represent the range of performance for growth planted in each plot. Large differences among sites and among treatments in both growth and foliar nutrient concentration were observed. Genetic × site interactions and genetic × treatment within site interactions were seldom significant. Significant interactions did not appear to be related to changes in rankings of families, but rather to the differences in variance among families in different treatments. This study suggests that selection of specific radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) families for better growth performance on nutrient-deficient sites in New Zealand would not result in substantial improvement over selection for growth on all sites disregarding nutrient availability.

scholarly journals Understory Vegetation Richness and Diversity of Eucalyptus benthamii and Pinus elliottii Plantations in the Midsouth US

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea De Stefano ◽  
Michael A Blazier ◽  
Christopher E Comer ◽  
Thomas J Dean ◽  
T Bently Wigley
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
The United States ◽  
Slash Pine ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Understory Species ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the Western Gulf region of the United States cold-tolerant eucalyptus have been explored as pulpwood feedstock. However, non-native plantations may alter understory species diversity, modifying environmental conditions and soil characteristics. Few studies have compared eucalyptus plantations with native ecosystems to understand the impact on understory vegetation in the United States. In this study, we compared understory plant species richness and diversity during 2014–2016 in (1) slash pine (Pinus elliottii) established in 2008, (2) slash pine established in 2013, and (3) and Camden white gum (Eucalyptus benthamii) established in 2013. Overstory characteristics, soil pH, and soil nutrient concentrations were measured to understand factors that affected understory species richness and diversity. Results indicated a decline in understory species richness over time, with Camden white gum in an intermediate condition between same-age slash pine (highest richness) and older slash pine (lowest richness). Leaf area index, soil pH and K, and tree height were the most important factors influencing understory species richness and diversity. The adoption of fast-growing eucalyptus on these sites will probably accelerate the deterioration of natural habitats and reduce open-condition species in favor of shade-tolerant species, overturning the conservation efforts already put in place by governmental agencies and conservation groups.

An evaluation of United States forest Service prescribed fire regimes in East Texas

2019 ◽  
Vol 449 ◽  
pp. 117485
Author(s):  
Trey P. Wall ◽  
Brian P. Oswald ◽  
Kathryn R. Kidd ◽  
Ray L. Darville
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Forest Service ◽  
United States Forest Service ◽  
East Texas
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