FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Quercus prinus | Chestnut Oak 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Chestnut oak is moderately resistant to fire [7].  In three separate
rankings, chestnut oak was listed as the most fire resistant of four oak
species: scarlet, chestnut, black, and white [69].  Large chestnut oaks
have fairly thick bark and, while more susceptible to basal wounding
than pines, they survive most ground fires [7].  Top-killed chestnut
oaks sprout vigorously from the root crown after fire [49].

Because bark thickens with age, the larger the fire interval is, the
greater is the chance of survival.  Based on a semilogarithmic model of
bark thickness and mortality, chestnut oak requires a fire interval of
14 years for 50 percent survival of a low-severity surface fire.  The
model was developed from data collected after low-severity surface fires
on south-facing slopes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park [29].

A litter covering deeper than 2 inches (5 cm) is unfavorable for
chestnut oak acorn germination [49].  Fire removes excess litter and may
facilitate chestnut oak regeneration.  In an oak-pine forest in the New
Jersey pine barrens, chestnut oak seedling density was lowest in the
forest fragment that had not been recently burned and that had an
average litter depth of 2.4 inches (6.1 cm) [11].  However, the primary
mode of regeneration after fire appears to be sprouting.

The prevalent presettlement upland oak forests in the eastern and
central United States were associated with recurring fire.  These
forests probably burned at an intermediate frequency (50 to 100 year
intervals), which promoted the dominance and stability of oak [1].
Oak-hickory forests are usually not conducive to high-severity fires,
but surface fires are easily ignited and spread rapidly under favorable
conditions [13].  Periodic fire opens the canopy and sets back
competition, providing an opportunity for upland oaks to regenerate and
maintain dominance [1].  Fifty-five years after a late summer fire in
south-central Connecticut, absolute and relative amounts of oak
(chestnut, scarlet, black, white, and northern red) were higher on
burned areas than adjacent unburned areas [77].  However, a fire in a 5
to 6-year old mixed hardwood stand did not affect relative species
dominance, it merely retarded stand development [47].  The exact timing
and conditions of fire that favor oak dominance have not been
determined.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/root sucker

Related categories for Species: Quercus prinus | Chestnut Oak