Pre-European Fire Frequencies in the South by Region

Lists estimates of fire frequencies in 3 southern physiographic regions in time preceding European settlement.

Physiographic Region	Coastal Plains	Piedmont	Southern Appalachians
Fire Frequency	<13 years for most forest types; 1-4 years in longleaf stands; 20-50 years in pocosins; 30-60 years in Ocala sand pine;	shortleaf pines: 2-6 years on fertile, lower elevation sites and 6-15 years on drier, nutrient poor sites;	frequent in some pines; 2-10 years in pitch pines;  2.8-14 years in oak-hickory forests; 100s of years in northern hardwood cove forests;
Vegetation types	longleaf, slash, loblolly, & sand pines; bottomland hardwoods; pocosins; bay forests; shrub bogs	shortleaf and other pines;	Virginia, shortleaf, pitch and Table Mountain pines; hardwoods in absence of fire; oaks and hickories

 

Based on information in Stanturf and others 2002.

See also Fire Ecology.