FIRE CASE STUDIES
SPECIES: Quercus rubra | Northern Red Oak 



CASE NAME : 
northern red oak, prescribed burn, Wisconsin.


REFERENCE : 
Johnson, P. S. 1974 [50]


SEASON/SEVERITY CLASSIFICATION : 
mid-April/not reported.


STUDY LOCATION : 
The prescribed burn was conducted on the Hardies Creek Timber Harvest
Farm in Trempeauleau County, Wisconsin.


PREFIRE VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY : 
The preburn community was a 102-year old northern red oak stand.
Understory vegetation included interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana),
lady fern (Athyrium felix-femina), American hazel (Corylus americana),
and briars (Rubus spp.).


TARGET SPECIES PHENOLOGICAL STATE : 
Not reported.


SITE DESCRIPTION : 
      Slope:  10 to 35 percent.
      Aspect:  north to east.
      Site index for northern red oak:  70.


FIRE DESCRIPTION : 
The forest floor (layers L and F) was wet and the fire spread at only 13
inches (33 cm) per minute.  Conditions were as follows:

      Ambient air temperature:  70 degrees F (21 deg C)
      Relative humidity:  25 percent
      Winds:  5 miles per hour (8 km/hour)
      Temperature of soil-forest floor interface:  50 degrees F (10 deg C)


FIRE EFFECTS ON TARGET SPECIES : 
Mortality of northern red oak was related to temperatures near the root
collar.  Ninety-three percent of the seedlings on the unburned control
plot were alive after one growing season, but only 42 percent of those
on burned plots survived.  All but 8 of the 42 surviving seedlings were
top-killed.  Thirty-four seedling sprouts were produced, with one to
three living stems originating from the root collar.  Where the
temperature reached 220 degrees F (104 deg C) or more, mortality of
seedlings averaged 71 percent.  Mortality was 64 percent on plots where
the temperature reached 140 to 219 degrees F (60-104 deg C).  Where
temperature was less than 140 degrees F (60 deg C), mortality was only
19 percent.  Seedlings on the burned plot were significantly shorter.


FIRE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS : 
With 7,000 seedlings per acre (17,290/ha), a 50 to 60 percent reduction
in northern red oak seedling numbers may be acceptable as long as
competing vegetation is reduced.  However, this spring fire had little
effect on competing vegetation.  Study results suggest that a single,
low-severity spring burn may harm northern red oak seedlings where
postburn competition is intense.  More research is needed to determine
conditions under which prescribed burns might control competing
vegetation and favor northern red oak reproduction.

Related categories for Species: Quercus rubra | Northern Red Oak