Secondary Succession of a Spruce-Fir Burn in the Plott Balsam Mountains, North Carolina
Saunders PR, Smathers GA, Ramseur GS. 1983. Secondary Succession of a Spruce-Fir Burn in the Plott Balsam Mountains, North Carolina. Castanea. 48(1):41-47
ABSTRACT: In 1955 a campfire near Waterrock Knob in the Plott Balsam Mountains escaped and burned about one hectare of mature red spruce-Fraser fir forest. The resultant forest community contains some of the species commonly associated with mature logged spruce-fir forests, but many of the species present are primarily disturbance species associated with fire cherry communities and grass and heath balds. A severe fire, burned soils, and erosion are probably responsible for the dense shrub layer, unique species composition, and slow recovery of this site.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Saunders, Paul; Smathers, Garrett; Ramseur, George
- Units
- BLRI
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, BLRI, Blue Ridge Parkway, community associations, erosion, fire, GRSM-01658, heath balds, SER, shrub layer, Southeast Region, species composition, spurce-fir forest, Waterrock Knob