ERMN Project Oak Regeneration Study (2015-ongoing) NERI
Perles S. ERMN Project Oak Regeneration Study (2015-ongoing) NERI. 2015-2025. National Park Service
The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Oak Regeneration Study examines the individual and combined effects of prescribed fire, deer herbivory, and canopy thinning on tree regeneration and ground layer diversity in dry oak-dominated forests. Data from 124 plots are part of a randomized split-plot design experiment with treatments of prescribed fire (burned or unburned) and deer exclosure fence (present or absent) at two sites (Grandview and Backus). Ten plots are part of an oak forest restoration project on Highland Mountain. Data on trees, tree regeneration, groundstory diversity, and herbaceous plants sensitive to deer browse are collected by National Park Service staff from the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory and Monitoring Network, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and Regional Fire Effects Monitoring Crews. Standard operating procedures were followed by all crews collecting data for this study.
Program
Products
- New River Gorge National River Oak Regeneration Study, Standard Operating Procedures
- The oak regeneration study in New River Gorge National River: monitoring the effects of prescribed burning and deer exclusion on tree regeneration and groundlayer diversity in xeric oak-dominated forests
- Fire history at New River Gorge National River: Backus Mountain, Endless Wall, and Glade Creek (Babcock)
- Initial conditions influence effects of prescribed burns and deer exclosure fences on tree regeneration and understory diversity in Appalachian oak-dominated forests
- Video: Fire and Deer Don't Mix
- Rising From the Ashes: The Role of Fires in National Parks
- Oak Regeneration Study Data at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (2015-2025) Data Package