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Changes in bark properties and hydrology following prescribed fire in Pinus taeda and Quercus montana

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cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0003-3787-0432
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cris.virtualsource.author-orcid867df9cd-6a3b-49c7-90e6-16c00daa7016
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dc.abstract.enIn the eastern United States, the use of prescribed fire as a silvicultural technique to manage for desirable upland tree species is increasing in popularity. Bark physical properties such as thickness, density, and porosity have known associations with fire tolerance among species. These physical properties simultaneously influence rainfall interception and canopy storage and thus are of interest across a range of disciplines. Furthermore, while these characteristics are innate to a species, it is unknown whether repeated exposure to fire facilitates physical change in bark structure and whether these changes are consistent among species. To answer these questions, bark samples were collected from mature pine (Pinus taeda L.) and oak (Quercus montana Willd.) trees from sites across the Bankhead National Forest in Alabama, USA under three different burn regimes: 3-year cycle, 9-year cycle, and no fire. Samples were analysed in the laboratory for bulk density, porosity, water storage capacity, and hygroscopicity (the amount of atmospheric water vapour absorbed by bark during non-rainfall conditions). Drying rates of saturated samples under simulated wetting conditions were also assessed. Oak bark had higher bulk density, lower porosity, and dried slower than pine bark. Interestingly, bark from both species had lower bulk density, higher porosity, greater water storage capacity, and dried faster in stands that were burned every 3 years compared to other fire regimes (p < 0.001). In summary, this study demonstrates that prescribed fire regimes in an eastern US forest alter bark structure and thus influence individual tree control on hydrological processes. The increase in bark water storage capacity, coupled with faster bark evaporation times may lead to less water inputs to the forest floor and drier overall conditions. Further investigation of this fire-bark-water feedback loop is necessary to understand the extent of these mechanisms controlling landscape-scale conditions.
dc.affiliationWydział Leśny i Technologii Drewna
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Botaniki i Siedliskoznawstwa Leśnego
dc.contributor.authorSiegert, Courtney
dc.contributor.authorIlek, Anna
dc.contributor.authorWade, Adam
dc.contributor.authorSchweitzer, Callie
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-08T08:57:45Z
dc.date.available2025-10-08T08:57:45Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstract<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>In the eastern United States, the use of prescribed fire as a silvicultural technique to manage for desirable upland tree species is increasing in popularity. Bark physical properties such as thickness, density, and porosity have known associations with fire tolerance among species. These physical properties simultaneously influence rainfall interception and canopy storage and thus are of interest across a range of disciplines. Furthermore, while these characteristics are innate to a species, it is unknown whether repeated exposure to fire facilitates physical change in bark structure and whether these changes are consistent among species. To answer these questions, bark samples were collected from mature pine (<jats:italic>Pinus taeda</jats:italic> L.) and oak (<jats:italic>Quercus montana</jats:italic> Willd.) trees from sites across the Bankhead National Forest in Alabama, USA under three different burn regimes: 3‐year cycle, 9‐year cycle, and no fire. Samples were analysed in the laboratory for bulk density, porosity, water storage capacity, and hygroscopicity (the amount of atmospheric water vapour absorbed by bark during non‐rainfall conditions). Drying rates of saturated samples under simulated wetting conditions were also assessed. Oak bark had higher bulk density, lower porosity, and dried slower than pine bark. Interestingly, bark from both species had lower bulk density, higher porosity, greater water storage capacity, and dried faster in stands that were burned every 3 years compared to other fire regimes (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; 0.001). In summary, this study demonstrates that prescribed fire regimes in an eastern US forest alter bark structure and thus influence individual tree control on hydrological processes. The increase in bark water storage capacity, coupled with faster bark evaporation times may lead to less water inputs to the forest floor and drier overall conditions. Further investigation of this fire‐bark‐water feedback loop is necessary to understand the extent of these mechanisms controlling landscape‐scale conditions.</jats:p>
dc.description.bibliographyil., bibliogr.
dc.description.financepublication_nocost
dc.description.financecost0,00
dc.description.if2,8
dc.description.number1
dc.description.points100
dc.description.volume37
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/hyp.14799
dc.identifier.eissn1099-1085
dc.identifier.issn0885-6087
dc.identifier.urihttps://sciencerep.up.poznan.pl/handle/item/5286
dc.languageen
dc.relation.ispartofHydrological Processes
dc.relation.pagese14799
dc.rightsClosedAccess
dc.sciencecloudnosend
dc.subject.enbark density
dc.subject.enbark hygroscopicity
dc.subject.enbark porosity
dc.subject.enChestnut oak
dc.subject.enloblolly pine
dc.subject.enprescribed fire
dc.titleChanges in bark properties and hydrology following prescribed fire in Pinus taeda and Quercus montana
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue1
oaire.citation.volume37