PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 35: Restoration Ecology.
Thursday, August 5 Presentations from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall A 1.
Using adaptive management techniques to reintroduce fire into hardwood-invaded depressions within longleaf pine savannas.
Kirkman, L. Katherine*,1, Coffey, Kim 1, Jack, Steven1, 1 Jospeh W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, GA, USA
ABSTRACT- Karst depressions are embedded within longleaf pine-wiregrass savannas of southwestern Georgia, have saturated soil conditions or standing water for short periods, and are frequently oak-dominated. Oak invasion is exacerbated with winter season, low-intensity prescribed fire. Once established, oaks alter ground cover diversity as well as the presence of fuels. Because the flora and fauna associated with wet-mesic savannas are extremely diverse, restoration of this habitat is a priority in conservation management for biodiversity at a landscape scale. Oak-dominance transforms these sites such that hardwood removal is necessary prior to re-introducing fire into these systems. We are documenting rates of change in flora and fauna associated with restoration management techniques. In 12 hardwood-dominated wetland depressions surrounded by fire-maintained longleaf pine-wiregrass communities at Ichauway (an 11,600 ha private preserve in southwestern Georgia), we assigned one of three experimental restoration techniques: a) fuel-loaded, high-intensity fire; b) mechanical/chemical removal of hardwoods; or c) no treatment (prescribed fire; control). Specific questions addressed include: 1) At what rate does vegetation composition and species richness change with reintroduction of fire? 2) Which ecotonal and wet savanna species reappear without reintroduction? 3) Which techniques of hardwood removal most rapidly promote fuel to reintroduce fire? Treatments were applied in 2000, and all plots have been prescribed-burned on a 2-year interval since then. Ground cover species diversity and cover has changed in treatment plots relative to control plots. More wetland species have emerged in plots where overstory hardwoods were removed than in control plots, which are essentially lacking ground cover. Although there has been an increase in ground cover diversity in all tree removal treatments, intense-fire treatment plots are dominated by annual ruderal species and woody vines. Harvested plots now have sufficient herbaceous vegetation to carry fire across the depressions.
Key words: adaptive management, hardwood depressions, longleaf pine savannas