Growth of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.) Related to Forest Floor Consumption by Prescribed Fire in the Southern Appalachians

Abstract

Abstract Chainsaw felling, burning, and planting of eastern white pine (Pinus strobusL.) have been prescribed on degraded pine/hardwood stands in the Southern Appalachians to improve overstory composition and productivity. The desired future condition of the overstory is a productive pine/hardwood mixture, with white pine, which is resistant to southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), as the dominant pine. We evaluated the growth of white pine planted after fell-and-burn treatments through eight growing seasons after planting on three sites that differed in their fire characteristics and carbon and nitrogen losses. The three sites (JE, JW, and DD) differed in heat penetration and forest floor consumption. Although very little consumption of the Oe+Oa humus layer occurred during burning, consumption of the Oi litter layer was 94%, 94%, and 63% at JE, JW, and DD, respectively. Corresponding to the forest floor layer consumption (Oi and Oe+Oa combined), 46% of forest floor N was lost at JE, 45% of forest floor N was lost at JW, and less than 0.1% of the forest floor N was lost at DD. Biomass and density of woody competitor species were not significantly related to white pine size or growth. By the eighth growing season, no differences in white pine size or growth were detected between JE and JW, but DD had significantly smaller white pine trees. The size difference between DD and the other two sites was attributed to the replanting of seedlings at DD in 1992. However, relative growth rate (RGR) was significantly higher on DD in 1998 than the other two sites. Eight growing seasons after planting, white pine growth was negatively related to percent Oi layer consumed on the JE and JW sites. We also found significant relationships between white pine RGR and percent Oi consumed using data from all three sites. Although fire severity had a long-term effect on pine growth, fire severity was considered low overall on these sites because there were limited losses from the forest floor Oe+Oa layer. However, white pine increment and RGR were significantly related to percent forest floor Oi mass and N loss. This loss of site N capital could have a significant negative effect on growth of planted white pine over the long term. South. J. Appl. For. 26(1):18–25.