Herb Survey: Effect of Burning Patterns on Vegetation in the Fish Lake Burn Compartments

This study examines the effects of long-term prescribed burning treatments on vegetation structure and composition, productivity, and nutrient cycling in upland oak savanna and woodland vegetation. The basis for the study is an ongoing, experimental prescribed burning program begun in 1964 at Cedar Creek, and a similar program operating since 1962 on the adjacent Helen Allison Savanna property (owned by The Nature Conservancy). These prescribed burning programs are designed to subject upland oak communities (and some old fields) to different burn frequencies and patterns of burning, with the ultimate objectives of 1) restoring and maintaining the historically important savanna and open woodland vegetation, and 2) providing information about the effects of different burning patterns on vegetation structure and composition. This study addresses the latter of these two purposes and expands on it by also investigating possible influences of fire on resource availability (nutrients, water, and light) and net primary productivity. This study represents a continuation and expansion of experiments 015 and 094.

本研究旨在探讨长期计划火烧（prescribed burning）处理对高地栎稀树草原与疏林植被的结构与组成、生产力以及养分循环的影响。本研究的基础为1964年在雪松溪（Cedar Creek）启动的持续性实验性计划火烧项目，以及1962年起在毗邻的海伦·艾莉森稀树草原地块（由自然保护协会（The Nature Conservancy）所有）开展的同类项目。上述计划火烧项目旨在使高地栎类群落（及部分弃耕地）接受不同火烧频率与火烧格局的处理，其最终目标有二：一是恢复并维持历史上具有重要地位的稀树草原与开阔疏林植被；二是阐明不同火烧格局对植被结构与组成的影响。本研究针对上述两项目标中的后者展开，并在此基础上进一步拓展研究范畴，同时探讨火烧对资源可获得性（养分、水分与光照）及净初级生产力的潜在影响。本研究是对015号与094号实验的延续与拓展。