Lab’s mesophication work featured on Fire Ecology Chats Podcast (Ep. 37)
In this episode of Fire Ecology Chats, Fire Ecology editor Bob Keane speaks with Heather Alexander and Jeffery Cannon about reintroducing fire into mixed longleaf pine-hardwood woodlands, and how that will be affected by the shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive species that have grown during periods of fire exclusion.
New study: Overstory and litter properties drive fuel dynamics
The composition of fire-dependent forests can shift after decades of fire exclusion. Forests can shift to trees with distinct overstory and leaf litter traits that can further suppress fire and make restoration difficult. We compared how leaf litter and overstory properties differed between fire-adapted pines and oaks, and the non-fire adapted species that often encroach after fire suppression. We found that trees produced distinct microclimates and that drying properties of leaf litter varied among species. This information is useful for understanding mesophytic encroachment and for accelerating successful restoration efforts