Fire in Eastern Ecosystems
Wade DD, Brock BL, Brose PH, Grace JB, Hoch GA, Patterson WA. 2000. Fire in Eastern Ecosystems. Pages 53–96. In Brown JK and Smith JK. Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fort Collins, Colorado. The Rainbow Series. RMRS-GTR-42-Volume 2
Prior to Euro-American settlement, fire was a ubiquitous force across most of the Eastern United States. Fire regimes spanned a time-scale from chronic to centuries. Fire severity varied from benign to extreme (fig. 1-2). Today, fire is still a major force on the landscape. In some ecosystems fire stabilizes succession at a particular sere, while in others, succession is set back to pioneer species. The wide range in fire regimes coupled with elevation and moisture gradients produce a myriad of plant communities that continually change over time in both stature and composition, although it is not uncommon for the major species to remain dominant. Discussion is primarily about major vegetation types, for example, oak-hickory. However, some minor types such as spruce-fir and Table Mountain pine are also covered. Vegetation types are discussed under the most representative fire regime type, recognizing that some vegetation types overlap two fire regime types (table 4-1).
- Type
- Published Report Section
- Authors
- Wade, Dale; Brock, Brent; Brose, Patrick; Grace, James; Hoch, Greg; Patterson, William
- Units
- NRSS