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Case Western Reserve University biologists suspect lightning fires help preserve oak forests
December 13, 2006Oak forests may be approaching extinction but lightning fires may play a vital role in their regeneration, according to Case Western Reserve University biologists.
Paul Drewa, assistant professor in Case's biology department, and graduate student Sheryl Petersen, suspect that these kinds of fires may provide a natural mechanism to deter encroachment of shade tolerant hardwoods, especially red maples that are crowding out oaks and other plants on the ground floors of numerous forests throughout the eastern United States.
In an article for the April-June issue of the Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, the researchers examined regional weather patterns to see if environmental conditions exist for the occurrence of lightning fires in Appalachian forests of Adams and Pike Counties in southern Ohio.
The likelihood of lightning fires increases through the summer when the frequency of lightning strikes reaches its greatest peak in late August, coinciding with dry environmental conditions," said Drewa.
Drewa and Petersen also found that from 1993 to 2005, 29 lightning fires were reported in Ohio's fire protection areas, with 70 percent of those occurring during the summer.
"Human alterations to the natural fire regime, especially decades of fire suppression, have changed oak-dominated ecosystems in southern Ohio and throughout the eastern US," reported Petersen. "As a result, there is a preponderance of shade tolerant hardwoods that are preventing oaks and other native species from regenerating."
The oak canopies of remaining forest fragments are deceptive, according to the researchers, who found that oaks are not thriving well beyond the seedling stage, with few developing into older life history stages, including juveniles, saplings, and poles.
"Eventually this means the demise of oak trees and other less shade tolerant plant species in future years,\\\
Case Western Reserve University
The likelihood of lightning fires increases through the summer when the frequency of lightning strikes reaches its greatest peak in late August, coinciding with dry environmental conditions," said Drewa.
Drewa and Petersen also found that from 1993 to 2005, 29 lightning fires were reported in Ohio's fire protection areas, with 70 percent of those occurring during the summer.
"Human alterations to the natural fire regime, especially decades of fire suppression, have changed oak-dominated ecosystems in southern Ohio and throughout the eastern US," reported Petersen. "As a result, there is a preponderance of shade tolerant hardwoods that are preventing oaks and other native species from regenerating."
The oak canopies of remaining forest fragments are deceptive, according to the researchers, who found that oaks are not thriving well beyond the seedling stage, with few developing into older life history stages, including juveniles, saplings, and poles.
"Eventually this means the demise of oak trees and other less shade tolerant plant species in future years,\\\
Case Western Reserve University
Model predicts evolution of Mediterranean landscape following fires
An international research team has developed a mathematical and cartographical model that make it possible to view how Mediterranean landscapes evolve in the aftermath of forest fires.
Danger lurks underground for oak seedlings
Scientists trying to understand why oaks are starting to disappear from North American forests may need to look just below the surface to find some answers.
Green Isle Survives In The Urban Environment
Fortunately, green spots still remain on the map of Moscow tending to be located in the suburbs of the city, in the valleys of the rivers, away from the densely populated communities. Among them there are several little spots which are surrounded by the city being isolated like isles in the ocean. One of them is the forest park of the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, which makes part to the Petrovsko-Razumovskoye natural preserve. Long ago the forest was planted especially for the professional training of forestry specialists Russia is famous for. For this purpose the forest was regularly checked up - from time to time the biologists used to count all the plant and animal species in the fore
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