Effects of fire season on vegetation in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests
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Forest managers in the Southeastern United States are interested in the restoration of not only longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) trees, but also the characteristic forest structure and ground-layer vegetation of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Season of burn, fire intensity, and fire frequency are critical components of a fire regime that supports diverse ground layer vegetation and an open midstory. While some previous studies have concluded that a change to growing season burning for long periods of time (decades) facilitates restoration, such a change may be undesirable, especially for private land managers with more immediate management objectives, such as improving habitat for quail. There is a need to document short-term benefits associated with a change from dormant- to growing-season burning.