FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Tilia americana | Basswood 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
In Illinois a prescribed fall fire was conducted to open up areas that
had previously been classified as oak savanna.  The low intensity fire
burned into adjacent closed canopy sugar maple-basswood forest.  Fuel
loading in the closed forest was approximately 530 g/sq m.  Mortality of
basswood stems under 4 inches in diameter (10 cm) was close to 10
percent (some of these were apparently only top-killed).  Larger stems
were apparently unaffected by the fire [4].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
A prescribed fire in an aspen stand in which basswood occurred
top-killed most of the trees in the stand.  Those stems not killed by
the fire were felled to eliminate overstory competition.  All of the
top-killed basswood stems sprouted (stems ranged in size from 4 to 17
inches [10-43 cm] in diameter), producing an average of 21 sprouts per
clump within 5 years of the fire [57].

Fire wounding of basswood increases susceptibility to butt rot [15]:  of
trees with basal fire wounds, 100 percent of basswood stems had butt
rot, resulting in a cull rate of 39 percent [39].

Light surface fires favor sugar maple seedlings over basswood (and other
hardwoods).  Hotter fires destroy existing reproduction of sugar maple
and create openings favoring basswood.  Basswood sprouts are less
abundant in stands escaping fire for extremely long periods of time,
presumably because the heavy shade created by very dense stands is not
tolerated by basswood reproduction [50].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
The high heat value of basswood wood is reported as 8,342 Btu per pound,
the low heat value averages 7,817 Btu per pound.  The rate of fire
spread under laboratory conditions for basswood wood is higher than that
in white fir (Abies concolor), sugar maple, southern magnolia (Magnolia
grandiflora), and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris).  Basswood contains an
oil that is rich in volatile fatty acids [26].

Small basswood slash, up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, is usually very
quick to rot; that of most northern hardwood species, including
basswood, is almost completely decayed in 4 to 7 years.  Under average
conditions, basswood logs and stumps are not a serious source of fire
danger after 10 to 12 years, and after 15 to 18 years, nothing remains
except mounds of moldy wood [62].  Basswood logs and slash are easily
water saturated, however, which slows the rate of decay [64].

Fuel values for herbicide-killed basswood (as firewood) have been
reported [12].

Prescribed fire is not recommended for established stands of hardwoods
in which basswood occurs; basal fire wounds increase susceptibility to
butt rot [39].  Use of fire in cut stands may improve resistance to butt
rot in the next generation of basswood, since fire lowers the level at
which stump sprouts form [57].

Related categories for Species: Tilia americana | Basswood