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Growing trees with fire
Fire
is being prescribed by Clemson researchers to regenerate hardwood forests
following timber harvests. The scientists found that controlled burns
after a partial harvest of oak or hickory gives these species an advantage
over their faster-growing competitors.
The
slow-growing, and more valuable, oaks and hickories put their early growth
into the root system while faster-growing species, such as yellow poplar
and red maple, grow stems. As a result, the oaks and hickories have the
reserves to send up new sprouts after a burn; but their competitors do
not. This provides landowners with a management tool to maintain the value
of their timberland.
Studies
are now being conducted to determine if a single burn is sufficient to
allow hardwoods to grow into a canopy, or dominant, position in the forest.
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