Survival of Trees After Low-Intensity Surface Fires In Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Harmon ME. 1984. Survival of Trees After Low-Intensity Surface Fires In Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ecology. 65(3):796-802
The importance of bark thickness, diameter, and growth rate in determing tree survival following low intensity fires was examined in xeric pine and oak forests of western Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Bark thickness at breast and ground levels increased with dbh, and three survival of low-intensity surface fires incresed with bark thickness. Equations relating bark thickness, survival, diameter, and diameter growth rate were used to estimate the time required to grow a tree with a 50% chance of surviving a low-intensity surface fire. The mean prepark fire return interval of 10 years favored fast-growing, thick-barked tree species over thin-barked, slow growing species. Fire supression since 1940 has allowed thin barked, slow growing species to grow into size-classes that are resistant to fire. This indicates that restoration of the prepark fire interval alone will not restore the prepark forest structure.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Harmon, Mark
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Ecology (Fire), Fire Behavior, fire forestry, fire physics