What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the extent to which prescribed burning accelerates mortality in old-growth ponderosa pine stands and assess underlying mechanisms related to soil heating and root damage.

May 1, 1991Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Prescribed-fire effects on fine-root and tree mortality in old-growth ponderosa pine

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Authors

DSD. Michael Swezy JAJames K. AgeeWeatherford (Switzerland)

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Implication

Field experiment finds increased tree and fine-root mortality following prescribed burning in old-growth ponderosa pine, suggesting spring burns risk damaging mature stands.

Key Points

To evaluate the extent to which prescribed burning accelerates mortality in old-growth ponderosa pine stands and assess underlying mechanisms related to soil heating and root damage.
Surveyed Pinus ponderosa stands with tree diameters exceeding 22 cm at breast height across burned and unburned areas, evaluating burn season, fire severity (scorch height and ground char), and tree vigor.
Conducted a June prescribed burn across trees of high, moderate, and low vigor, comparing unraked trees to those with debris raked from their bases while tracking soil temperature profiles and fine-root biomass at 1 and 5 months.
Tree mortality reached 19.5% in burned stands compared to 6.6% in unburned stands, with early-season burns exceeding 30% mortality.
Lethal heat loads (>60 °C) persisted for more than 5 hours in over 75% of soil surface and 5-cm depth samples, driving a 50% to 75% reduction in fine-root dry weight at 1 and 5 months.
Raking debris before burning exacerbated fine-root biomass loss relative to burning alone at 1 month, leading to equivalent root losses by 5 months and the eventual death of a low-vigor tree.

Cite This Study

Swezy et al. (1991) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a82a32c5b7acbbacb8d6121 https://doi.org/10.1139/x91-086

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Implication

Field experiment finds increased tree and fine-root mortality following prescribed burning in old-growth ponderosa pine, suggesting spring burns risk damaging mature stands.

Prescribed-fire effects on fine-root and tree mortality in old-growth ponderosa pine

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Prescribed-fire effects on fine-root and tree mortality in old-growth ponderosa pine

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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