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Project ID: 08-1-2-07

Year: 2008

Date Started: 10/01/2008

Date Completed: 11/20/2012

Title: Prescribing Fire in Managed Oak Forest Landscapes: Interactions with the Invasive Tree Ailanthus Altissima

Project Proposal Abstract: Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) is a nonnative invasive species that is common in the region and can invade and expand dramatically when forests are disturbed. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, has instituted a prescribed fire program to sustain oak forests. To better understand the interactions fo fire and Ailanthus, we propose a research project in Tar Hollow State Forest. Ailanthus is widely distributed in the forest, most often along roadsides, but it is also present as scattered individuals and larger patches within the interior of forest stands. Since 2001, prescribed fire has been applied to 2,100 acres within a 9,600 acre portion of the forest. Our first objective is to gain a better understanding of how the distribution and abundance of Ailanthus is related to recent fires, seed sources, and other landscape and stand characteristics. To accomplish this, we will employ digital aerial sketch mapping technology to map the location of adult female trees (seed-producers). We will also establish a systematic grid of sample plots to quantify the abundance and demography of Ailanthus, as well as other stand attributes (e.g., fire, harvesting, stand structure). From this data, we will produce a model of key factors related to the presence and abundance of Ailanthus across the landscape. The second objective is to quantify the direct effects of prescribed fire on the demography of Ailanthus populations, with and without the pre-burn application of herbicide. Here we will quantify demographic attributes (survival, topkill, sprouting, establishment) of Ailanthus in a field experiment with four treatment combinations: 1) no herbicide, no fire, 2) herbicide, no fire, 3) no herbicide, fire, and 4) herbicide, fire. This project seeks to provide a new cost-effective tool to map Ailanthus seed sources and to gain a better understanding of how Ailanthus responds to fire. If Ailanthus is favored by fire, we will also determine whether pre-burn herbicide application can be used to mitigate this effect, so that prescribed fire can be successful in the ultimate goal of improving oak regeneration. A field tour, workshop and accompanying publications will be used to provide guidance on conducting prescribed fires in the presence of Ailanthus within managed oak forest landscapes. Management recommendations will be incorporated into the SILVAH:OAK Decision Support System software and training curriculum.

Principal Investigator: Joanne X. Rebbeck

Agency/Organization: Forest Service

Branch or Dept: NRS-Forest Health-Sustaining Forests

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Co-Principal Investigator	Todd F. Hutchinson	Forest Service	NRS-Northern Research Station
Co-Principal Investigator	Louis Iverson	Forest Service	NRS-Northern Research Station
Co-Principal Investigator	Daniel A. Yaussy	Forest Service	NRS-Forest Health-Sustaining Forests
Federal Cooperator	Joanne X. Rebbeck	Forest Service	NRS-Forest Health-Sustaining Forests

Project Locations

Consortium

Appalachian

Level	State	Agency	Unit
STATE	OH	FED	ALL

Project Deliverables

Final Report ("Results presented in JFSP Final Reports may not have been peer-reviewed and should be interpreted as tentative until published in a peer-reviewed source.")

	ID	Type	Title
	10173	Refereed Publication	Fire Management and Woody Invasive Plants in Oak Ecosystems
	8221	NonRefereed Publication	Prescribing Fire in Managed Oak Forest Landscapes: Interactions with the Invasive Tree Ailanthus altissima
	8902	NonRefereed Publication	Prescribing Fire in Managed Oak Forest Landscapes: Interactions with the Invasive Tree Ailanthus altissima
	10169	Conference/Symposia/Workshop	Managing Ohio Woodlands: The "Challenges" of Ailanthus Workshop and Field Tour
	10170	Field Demonstration/Tour	Forest and Restoration Field Trip EcoSummit 2012 Vinton Furnace State Experimental Forest
	9430	Field Demonstration/Tour	Field tour stop: Ohio Oak SILVAH Training Session, Vinton Furnace State Experimental Forest
	10187	Photo	Aerial view of female Ailanthus trees with seeds
	10186	Photo	Ailanthus research plots immediately after Rx fire
	8901	Poster	Use of Aerial Surveys to Map and Treat Ailanthus altissima Trees on Large Forested Landscapes in Ohio
	8892	Poster	Aerial Mapping of Female Ailanthus altissima Trees in Ohio Mixed Oak Forests
	8219	Poster	Aerial Mapping of Female Ailanthus altissima Trees in Ohio Mixed Oak Forests

Supporting Documents

There are no supporting documents available for this project.

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