Document: MAR-3-68-20

Conceptual fire ecology model for the Long lsland, NY pine barrens.

JORDAN, M.J.* ¹, W.A.PATTERSON III ² and A.WINDISCH ³

The Nature Conservancy, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 USA ¹
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 USA ²
Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ 08625 USA ³

Abstract:
A conceptual model summarizes effects of fire on pine barrens species and ecological communities, and will provide ecological guidance for future prescribed burning. Aerial photographs from 1938, 1961 and 1996 were used to produce vegetation maps, from which transition matrices and trajectories of change for community types were derived. Detailed GIS analysis including 1986 aerials, a fire history study, and post-wildfire research provided additional information. In 1938 90% of the 12,000 acre study area was dominated by pitch pine-scrub oak woodland (Pinus rigida, Quercus ilicifolia), scrub oak shrubland and limited coppice tree-oak shrubland; only 10% was closed-canopy forest (> 60% tree cover). Woodland and shrubland communities had been created by large (100-2,000+ acres) intense or severe duff-consuming fires that top-killed most trees. Between 1938-1994 fires were smaller (2-500 acres) and ~73% of the study area did not burn, or was burned by low severity surface fires. As a result ~5,000 acres of shrubland and woodland succeeded or matured into pine-oak forest by 1994, creating a mosaic of shrubland + woodland (44%) and forest (56%). In 1995 an unusually severe summer wildfire converted 2,000 acres of woodland and forest back into scrub oak shrubland. The LI Pine Barrens Commission, governmental agencies and The Nature Conservancy are drafting a prescribed fire management plan for maintaining pine barrens and reducing the likelihood of future catastrophic wildfires.

Keywords: fire, pine barrens, conceptual model

This abstract is being presented at: 4:30 PM in session:
Oral Session #35: Fire Ecology.