Impacts of increasing fine fuel loads on acorn germination and early growth of oak seedlings

Abstract Background Prescribed fire is increasingly used to restore and maintain upland oak ( Quercus L. spp.) ecosystems in the central eastern US. However, little known about how prescribed affects recently fallen acorns under different fine fuel loads, which can vary with stand composition basal area, burn season, frequency. We conducted plot-level (1 m 2 ) burns an northern Mississippi, USA, during December 2018, using single i.e., ambient), double, triple representative of those nearby unburned fire-treated, closed-canopy stands. Pre burn, we placed 30 each white alba L.) Shumard shumardii Buckley) ~1 cm below litter surface five plots treatment. Immediately post planted burned a greenhouse. After ~50% species’ germinated, measured percent germination height, diameter, leaf number germinating seedlings weekly for 11 weeks. Then, harvested determine above- belowground biomass. Results The treatment reduced acorn rates both species ~40% compared ~88% acorns. When double had <5% rate. There was no difference number, or biomass from versus either species. originating were ~11% shorter than Thus, responded similarly load treatments. Conclusions Acorns exhibited greater survival lower consequently consumption. generally produced growth patterns similar These findings indicate that regular, repeated fires canopy reductions limit accumulation create heterogeneous beds are likely increase relative sites introduced fire.