Impact of fire in two old-growth montane longleaf pine stands
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The structure of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests of the Southeastern United States Coastal Plains has been the focus of numerous studies. By comparison, the forests in the mountains of Alabama and Georgia are not well understood. Less than 1 percent of longleaf pine stands found in the montane portion of longleaf’s range are considered old growth. Several of these stands occur on the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge located in northeastern Alabama. A 1998 study documented the conditions in two old-growth longleaf pine stands on the refuge. The 1998 study described the age and stand structure, and shed light on the past disturbance and replacement patterns of two remnant old-growth longleaf pine stands. In 2005 and 2008, these stands were remeasured to document changes. In 2004, one stand was subjected to a relatively intense prescribed fire. In 2006, the other stand was burned with a more conservative approach.