1Up Info - A Portal with a Difference

1Up Travel - A Travel Portal with a Difference.    
1Up Info
   

Earth & EnvironmentHistoryLiterature & ArtsHealth & MedicinePeoplePlacesPlants & Animals  • Philosophy & Religion  • Science & TechnologySocial Science & LawSports & Everyday Life Wildlife, Animals, & PlantsCountry Study Encyclopedia A -Z
North America Gazetteer


You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Sassafras albidum | Sassafras
 

Wildlife, Animals, and Plants

 


Wildlife, Animals, and Plants

 

Wildlife Species

  Amphibians

  Birds

  Mammals

  Reptiles

 

Kuchler

 

Plants

  Bryophyte

  Cactus

  Fern or Fern Ally

  Forb

  Graminoid

  Lichen

  Shrub

  Tree

  Vine


FIRE EFFECTS

SPECIES: Sassafras albidum | Sassafras
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : Low-severity fires kill seedlings and small saplings. Moderate- and high-severity fires injure mature trees, providing entry for pathogens [41,75]. In oak savanna in Indiana, sassafras showed significantly less susceptibility to low-severity fire than other species [4]. Sassafras exhibited 21 percent mortality of stems after prescribed fire in western Tennessee. This was the lowest mortality of all hardwoods present. Season of burning did not affect susceptibility [17]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : NO-ENTRY PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : Sassafras occurs on charcoal hearths, which are patches of ground that were used for charcoal making. These areas are characterized by very poor soil structure. Sassafras on these sites shows poor growth [10]. The effects of annual and 5-year interval prescribed burning over a 27-year period in Tennessee has been reported. After 6 years, sassafras density was higher on annually burned plots than on unburned plots. The highest sassafras density occurred on the 5-year interval plots [80]. Sassafras gradually decreased with increasing canopy closure on the 5-year interval plots. By year 27, however, sassafras was eliminated from the annually burned plots. Sassafras was also eliminated from unburned plots; these plots developed closed canopies which are unfavorable to sassafras [19]. A large number of root sprouts occurred after sapling and small diameter sassafras trees were top-killed by fire in an Illinois post oak (Quercus stellata) stand [12]. Sprout production by top-killed sassafras was stimulated by prescribed fire, and greatly increased its cover in the shrub layer [13]. In Illinois, the number of small sassafras stems increased after a single winter prescribed fire from 9 percent frequency to 36 percent frequency. This increase was largely due to root sprouting by top-killed plants. The number of sassafras seedlings also increased after the same fire [3]. In Virginia, in Table Mountain pine stands that experienced a high-severity wildfire (98 percent top-kill), sassafras increased from 0 to 12.1 in relative importance in 1 year. Sassafras also increased on plots experiencing low-severity fire, but the difference in importance value was not as great [42]. In the absence of fire or other disturbances, sassafras frequency decreases with increasing canopy closure; the number of new sassafras seedlings also decreases with canopy closure [2,3]. Fire does not always lead to increased sassafras. Grelen [40] reported sassafras occurrence on unburned, young slash pine (Pinus elliottii) plots but not on plots burned annually, biennially, or triennially in March or May over the course of 12 years. In Florida, sassafras was found on unburned, 15-year-old old fields, but not on oldfield plots that were burned annually in February or March for 15 years [26]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : NO-ENTRY FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Prescribed fire for hardwood control in southern pine stands results in the predominance of American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and sassafras. This predominance is a useful indicator of temporary control over other hardwoods that usually occupy later seres and are more serious competitors of pine. Prescribed fire at 8- to 12-year intervals can control sprout growth or new plant invasion [74]. In South Carolina, a prescribed January fire in loblolly pine increased sassafras browse quality and availability. Prior to the fire, sassafras stems were out of reach of white-tailed deer [21]. The protein content of sassafras leaves and twigs was highest in June following prescribed fire. By September, the protein content of all browse plants was similar on burned and unburned sites [23]. After logging and presecribed burning in an oak-pine stand in South Carolina, white-tailed deer browsed sassafras heavily [27]. Frequent prescribed fire can improve spring and summer forage quality in the southern pine forests, where sassafras often occurs. Prescribed fire on utility rights-of-way does not control sassafras [5]. Vigorous root sprouting maintains sassafras even after repeated fires. Annual prescribed fire, however, may have a detrimental effect on sassafras fruit production [50]. On some sites, repeated annual fires may eventually eliminate sassafras [19,26,40]. A regression equation to calculate the relationship of sassafras bark thickness to stem diameter has been reported [46]. An equation for predicting standing sassafras dry weight (and therefore fuel loading) from sassafras basal diameter has also been reported [70].

Related categories for Species: Sassafras albidum | Sassafras

Send this page to a friend
Print this Page

Content on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. We accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities.

Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System

About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy | Links Directory
Link to 1Up Info | Add 1Up Info Search to your site

1Up Info All Rights reserved. Site best viewed in 800 x 600 resolution.