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Fire Ecology and Management in Eastern Broadleaf and Appalachian Forests

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Fire Ecology and Management: Past, Present, and Future of US Forested Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Managing Forest Ecosystems ((MAFE,volume 39))

Abstract

The role of fire in the eastern broadleaf and Appalachian forest regions, until recently, was poorly understood or minimally examined, as this region was long overlooked as a flammable landscape and fire was seen primarily as a threat to the timber resource and wildlife. In the past few decades, a significant body of research has enhanced our understanding of fire and its effects. We now recognize that fire has strongly shaped many ecosystems of this region along complex geomorphological gradients, and that returning fire, or its absence, has significant consequences for forest structure, species composition, and ecosystem function. This chapter synthesizes the state of knowledge regarding the prehistoric and historical roles of fire in these ecosystems; presents research demonstrating the effects of contemporary prescribed fire and wildfire on forest structure, species composition, and consequences for wildlife; examines evidence for shifting flammability of these ecosystems; and discusses the implications for both fire management and ecosystem sustainability in the twenty-first century.

Ecoregions 66, Blue Ridge; 67, Ridge and Valley; 68, Southwestern Appalachians; 69, Central Appalachians; 70, Western Allegheny Plateau; 71, Interior Plateau

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Mary A. Arthur

  2. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    J. Morgan Varner

  3. Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Charles W. Lafon

  4. School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

    Heather D. Alexander

  5. USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Sustainable Management of Central Hardwood Ecosystems and Landscapes Research Unit, Columbia, MO, USA

    Daniel C. Dey

  6. Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Craig A. Harper

  7. Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Sally P. Horn

  8. USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Sustaining Forests in a Changing Environment Research Unit, Columbia, MO, USA

    Todd F. Hutchinson

  9. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management Research Work Unit, Asheville, NC, USA

    Tara L. Keyser

  10. Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Marcus A. Lashley

  11. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Christopher E. Moorman

  12. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management Research Work Unit, Huntsville, AL, USA

    Callie J. Schweitzer

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  1. Mary A. Arthur
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  2. J. Morgan Varner
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  4. Heather D. Alexander
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary A. Arthur .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management Research Work Unit, Asheville, NC, USA

    Cathryn H. Greenberg

  2. Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, USA

    Beverly Collins

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Arthur, M.A. et al. (2021). Fire Ecology and Management in Eastern Broadleaf and Appalachian Forests. In: Greenberg, C.H., Collins, B. (eds) Fire Ecology and Management: Past, Present, and Future of US Forested Ecosystems. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 39. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73267-7_4

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