Frequent Prescribed Fire Sustains Old Field Loblolly Pine-Shortleaf Pine Woodland Communities: Results of a 53-Year Study

Frequently burned old field shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)-loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) woodlands in the southeastern US provide important wildlife habitat and multiple ecosystem services. Because these communities differ in composition of dominant plant species and have different land use legacies than native pine savannas, the ability to prevent encroachment by off-site broadleaf woody tree species using fire alone is in question. We use a long-term fire experiment to demonstrate that old field pine communities have been prevented from transitioning to hardwood forests for over 50 years through judicious application of prescribed fire applied at 1-2 year intervals, whereas communities with three-year fire intervals show signs of transitioning to hardwood forest. We emphasize tailoring fire regimes to particular contexts of land use history to achieve the most historic and sustainable ecosystem structure and function possible for conservation of native flora and fauna. Study Implications: Demonstrating the ability to maintain natural forest structure of old field loblolly pine-shortleaf pine communities in the southeastern US using frequent prescribed fire has implications for the future sustainability of hundreds of thousands of hectares of such land used to provide critical habitat for many species of imperiled and culturally valued wildlife. It also provides insight into restoration of longleaf pine communities on postagricultural land as promoted by multiple highly funded government initiatives. Frequently burned pine savannas and woodlands are resilient to wildfire and sustain natural hydrological cycles, both important for mitigating the effects of global climate change.

Automated summary

Frequent prescribed fires have been shown to prevent old field pine communities from transitioning to hardwood forests for over 50 years, highlighting the importance of tailored fire regimes based on land use history for conservation purposes. This has significant implications for maintaining critical habitat for imperiled and culturally valued wildlife, as well as for the restoration of longleaf pine communities on postagricultural land. Additionally, burned pine savannas and woodlands play a crucial role in sustaining natural hydrological cycles and mitigating the impacts of global climate change.