Effects of Fire on Oaks

Although oak species are not dependent on fire for regeneration as are some species of pines, oaks are well adapted to an environment that includes periodic fire. Researchers generally agree that fire played a role in the establishment of many oak-dominated stands at the turn of the century (Sander and others 1983, Crow 1988, Maslen 1989, Van Lear and Watt 1993).

Most oak species have biological adaptations to fire, such as relatively thick bark and protection against rootkill. These adaptations to fire give oaks several regeneration advantages over competing species. In the absence of fire, oaks often lose this competitive advantage to species that are intolerant of fire and that grow faster in forest openings. Oaks, therefore, are favored by frequent fires on high-quality sites in the southern Appalachians. In addition to promoting the accumulation of oak reproduction, there are several other benefits of fire for oak regeneration, such as preparing seedbeds, encouraging acorn caching, and discouraging acorn and seedling predators. The suppression of fires since the turn of the century has had several consequences on oak forests. One of the negative impacts of fire suppression has been the establishment of fire-intolerant species that compete with oak.