Prescribed burning for hardwood control and fuel reduction in a 26-year-old loblolly pine plantation on gently sloping terrain on the Cumberland Plateau

Author

Michael York

Date of Award

3-1988

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Forestry

Major Professor

Edward R. Buckner

Committee Members

Ronald L. Hay, John C. Rennie

Abstract

Four burns were conducted on each of three days: one day in the fall, spring, and summer. On each burn date, two burns were ignited on the north slope and two on the south slope of an east-west oriented ridge. On the fall and spring burn dates, general windspeed was greater than 14 km/h which determined surface wind direction in the pine plantation. On the windward side of the ridge, upslope burns were headfires and downslope burns were backfires, whereas on the lee side upslope burns were backfires and downslope burns were headfires. On the summer burn date, general windspeed was lower than 11 km/h, and wind direction in the pine plantation was determined by topography. Wind direction was upslope on both slopes, making upslope burns headfires and downslope burns backfires. Spring burns more effectively topkilled hardwoods (76 percent) than summer (54 percent) or fall burns (44 percent). Fuel loading was higher in the spring. There was little difference among the seasonal burns in percent of hardwoods totally killed (not sprouting): 21 percent in the summer, 19 percent in the fall, and 17 percent in the spring. Spring burns consumed twice as much fuel (66 percent) as fall (34 percent) or summer burns (33 percent). Percent fuel reduction for the 12 burns was significantly correlated (P = .05) with fuel loading and fuel moisture. On each of the three burn dates south slope burns were more effective than north slope burns in topkilling hardwoods and reducing fuels. Surface fuel on the south slope was mostly pine litter whereas a significant portion on the north slope was hardwood litter. The burns were generally safe for pine crop trees. Basal area of the surviving pine crop trees was higher one year after burning than pre-burn basal area except following the headfire upslope in the spring. This fire burned in a heavy loading (38,700 kg/ha) of dry (26 percent moisture) pine litter.

Recommended Citation

York, Michael, "Prescribed burning for hardwood control and fuel reduction in a 26-year-old loblolly pine plantation on gently sloping terrain on the Cumberland Plateau. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1988.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/7200