By Dr. Michael Saunders, Purdue University
Presented on January 23, 2024
Abstract: Prescribed fire in oak forests are perceived by many to be detrimental to timber values, despite its benefits for promoting oak regeneration and creating wildlife habitat. Although there has been a great deal of research on wildfire damage, there have been few studies of prescribed fire damage to overstory stems when fire is being used a regeneration tool. Fewer still relate the fire damage to the potential economic benefits of spurring oak regeneration. I will describe a Joint Fire Sciences-funded, regional study of over 120 sites across four national forests where both timber damage and regeneration response to prescribed fire was quantified.
