The Role of Fire in the Regeneration of Table Mountain Pine in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Table Mountain pine (Pinus pungens Lam.) is highly intolerant, serotinous-coned species endemic to the Appalachian Mountains. Before it can successfully be regenerated, three conditions must occur--(1) heat must be present to open its serotinous cones, (2) seed must fall on mineral soil, and (3) the existing forest canopy must be removed in to expose seedlings to full sunlight. These conditions are only met in the advent of fire.

This study was conducted in stands of Table Mountain pine that were burned by wildfires to see which burning conditions best regenerate the species. It showed that the best regeneration occurred in areas burned by crown fires. While regeneration was found in areas burned by hot surface fires that removed some overstory vegetation, very little regeneration was found where light surface fires had burned.

This study showed that adequate regeneration of Table Mountain pine had occurred following a fire in a 20 year-old stand. However, an 11 year-old stand sampled had produced very few cones, and it is doubtful that enough seed was being produced to regenerate that stand should it burn now.

This study also raised questions concerning the need for fire management programs to perpetuate this fire-dependent species.