BigCB Catalog Detail: "NEED TO ENTER: Prescribed Fire Effects on Deciduous Oak Woodland Stand Structure, Northern Diablo Range, California"
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DatasetID 82
Name NEED TO ENTER: Prescribed Fire Effects on Deciduous Oak Woodland Stand Structure, Northern Diablo Range, California
Description Monitored blue, black, and valley oak responses to a prescribed burn in 1999. Density, basal area, trunk scars, crown damage, and re-sprouting post fire were documented for 211 tree species (includes 13 non-deciduous oaks - bay, buckeye, coast live oak).

Despite the increasing use of fire in managing oak woodlands, little information exists on quantitative changes to stand structure
from prescribed burning. Fire damage and recovery in a mixed deciduous oak woodland were recorded after a prescribed fire on
the northern Diablo Range, Santa Clara County, California. Blue oak (Quercus douglasii Hook. & Arn.), valley oak (Q. lobata
Nee), and black oak (Q. kelloggii Newb.) trees were monitored for 4 yr to determine the effects of a late spring burn on stand
structural characteristics. Fire-caused mortality was low; 4 yr after the low intensity ground fire only four oaks died (1.9%).
There were significant differences in mean percent tree crown scorch and mean trunk char height between plots that burned
under different fire intensities, but not between tree size classes. Although overall tree damage was low, crown resprouts
developed on 80% of the trees and were found as shortly as 2 wk after the fire. Recovery was vigorous; both valley oaks and
blue oaks produced crown resprouts on trees with 100% crown scorch. Classification tree analysis identified aspect (mostly
southern exposures) and tree size related to the presence of crown resprouting. Crown damage was also an important factor;
trees with greater than 40% of their crown scorched resprouted. Fire-induced trunk scars occurred on a small number of trees
(9.1%) but was disproportionately higher for black oak compared to blue and valley oak. Stand structural characteristics
(species composition, tree density, basal area, and crown closure) were not substantially altered by the event but rather
maintained. Prescribed fire might be a viable tool in reducing fuels and maintaining oak woodlands; however, further
investigations that include relationships of regeneration with repeated fire are needed.
Physical Location
Publisher/Owner Danny Fry (Berkeley)
Publication Date 2008-05-01
Permissions Public
Source
Contact Danny Fry (dfry@berkeley.edu)
Type Publication
Subject Plant
Geo. Extent Blue Oak Ranch Reserve
URL http://nature.berkeley.edu/stephens-lab/Publications/Fry%202008.pdf
NRS Registry? no
Format PDF
Timespan Start 1999
Timespan End 2003
Total Items
Databased Items   (as of 2012-07-11)
Comments Possibly additional data involving tree wedges. Unable to find any supporting publications.
Entered By Sarah Hinman
Last Updated 2013-09-03 14:09:07

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