FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Quercus michauxii | Swamp Chestnut Oak 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Severe fire top-kills swamp chestnut oak [32].  Moderately severe fires
may kill seedlings and saplings, but older trees usually survive.
Surviving, fire-damaged trees are susceptible disease and insect attack.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
Fire scar wounds left on surviving trees allow the entry of fungi which
can cause heartwood decay [26].  Butt swelling and bulging are
indications of heartrot.  Rot usually starts 4 to 5 years after fire.
The scar gets bigger, moving upward along the trunk about 1.5 feet (0.5
m) in 10 years if a quarter of the tree's circumference is damaged [26].
Fire is less damaging during the tree's dormant season because of
lowered ambient temperatures and the tree's physiological state [31].
Crooked trees may be killed more easily than straight trees if crooked
trees are leaning towards the flames.  Also, overstocked stands may
suffer more damage from fire due to reduced vigor and size of
individuals [31].  Fire does not appear to affect acorn crops; however,
dying trees tend to produce a massive crop.  Acorns themselves are
easily killed because of high moisture content [31].


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Swamp chestnut oak will eventually seed into areas following fire [8].
Stems can sprout after being top-killed.  Sprouts can grow as much as 3
to 6 feet (1-3 m) a year for the first 2 to 3 postfire years [32].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
Swamp chestnut oak increased in a longleaf pine forest of Gulf Coastal
Florida 50 years following fire [8].  In a 20-year period, percent
frequency of swamp chestnut oak doubled.  In a separate study of the
same area during the same year, swamp chestnut oak was found to decrease
in percent frequency over a 20-year period following an absence of fire
for 55 years [13].


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Fire can reduce litter depth so that oak seedlings can become
established [31].  Fire can also reduce stocking rates of other species,
allowing oak species to increase in basal area.  Fire can induce
vigorous sprouting from older root stocks, which may be a preferred
reproductive technique [31].

Related categories for Species: Quercus michauxii | Swamp Chestnut Oak