Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Properties and Erosion Potential in the Central Appalachian Region, USA

Emma Georgia Thompson,Thomas Adam Coates,Melissa A Thomas-Van Gundy,Wallace Michael Aust

doi:10.3390/f10060493

Emma Georgia Thompson, Thomas Adam Coates + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f10060493

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Journal: Forests	Publication Date: Jun 8, 2019
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Northern Research Station, Parsons (United States)

Abstract

Short- and long-term impacts of wildland fires on forest floor properties and erosion potential were examined at three locations in the Central Appalachian region, U.S.A. In 2018, two wildfires were investigated within six months of burning on the George Washington–Jefferson National Forest (GWJNF) in Bland County, Virginia and the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in Grant County, West Virginia. An additional wildfire was studied eight years post-fire on the Fishburn Forest (FF) in Montgomery County, Virginia. A 2018 prescribed fire was also studied within six months of burning on the MNF in Pendleton County, West Virginia. Litter and duff consumption were examined to evaluate fire severity and char heights were measured to better understand fire intensity. The Universal Soil Loss Equation for forestlands (USLE-Forest) was utilized to estimate potential erosion values. For the 2018 comparisons, litter depth was least as a result of the wildfires on both the MNF and GWJNF (p < 0.001). Wildfire burned duff depths in 2018 did not differ from unburned duff depths on either the MNF or GWJNF. Eight years after the FF wildfire, post-fire litter depth was less than that of an adjacent non-burned forest (p = 0.29) and duff depth was greater than that of an adjacent non-burned forest (p = 0.76). Mean GWJNF wildfire char heights were greatest of all disturbance regimes at 10.0 m, indicating high fire intensity, followed by the MNF wildfire and then the MNF prescribed fire. USLE-Forest potential erosion estimates were greatest on the MNF wildfire at 21.6 Mg soil ha−1 year−1 due to slope steepness. The next largest USLE-Forest value was 6.9 Mg soil ha−1 year−1 on the GWJNF wildfire. Both the prescribed fire and the 2010 wildfire USLE-Forest values were approximately 0.00 Mg soil ha−1 year−1. Implications for potential long-term soil erosion resulting from similar wildfires in Central Appalachian forests appeared to be minimal given the 2010 wildfire results.

Highlights

Fire is a landscape-scale natural disturbance that has been present formatively and continually for millennia [1]
Mean George Washington–Jefferson National Forest (GWJNF) wildfire char heights were greatest of all disturbance regimes at 10.0 m, indicating high fire intensity, followed by the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) wildfire and the MNF prescribed fire
(2018) wildfires within the region, litter (Oi) depth was lower on burned areas compared to adjacent non-burned areas

Summary

Introduction

Fire is a landscape-scale natural disturbance that has been present formatively and continually for millennia [1]. Following the onset of extensive fire exclusion in the early 1900s, landscapes and cover types have changed. These changes are Forests 2019, 10, 493; doi:10.3390/f10060493 www.mdpi.com/journal/forests. Forests2019, 9, x493 FOR PEER REVIEW Forests 22 of of 13. These changes are marked by the increasing abundance of more mesic, late successional species marked by the increasing abundance of more mesic, late successional species across the red landscape across the landscape [3,4]. Many upland pine–hardwood stands have increased maple [3,4]. Many upland pine–hardwood stands have increased red maple (Acer rubrum L.).

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