Predicting the Invasion and Survival of the Exotic Species Paulownia tomentosa Following Burning in Pine and Oak-Pine Forests

摘要

The last two decades have seen an increasing awareness of the importance of fire in the xeric forest communities of the southern Appalachian Mountains, an increase in its use as a management tool, and an increase in the number of studies on the role and impact of fire in these communities. In the last ten years, managers have also witnessed the invasion of Paulownia tomentosa (Princess tree, hereafter Paulownia) after some of these fires. As natural, intentional, and accidental fires are increasingly part of the landscape, it is important to determine the landscape, watershed and stand variables that favor the spread of this exotic into natural areas following fire, determine whether it is impacting native communities or species, and incorporate this knowledge into management practices and our understanding of regional fire dynamics. The following Joint Fire Science Project has been conducted by Dane Kuppinger whose dissertation encompasses the project and has been partially funded by JFSP. Consequently, this report includes questions and analyses beyond the scope of the JFS project. Deliverables beyond the JFS project are given in the Deliverables section, his projected completion date is under the Timeline section, and additional funding sources are given in the Project description. Utilizing plot data from five fires, this study analyzes the effects of fire severity, season of burn, environmental conditions, and the relative location of mature Paulownia trees on Paulownia seedling abundance and vigor within sampled plots to determine under what conditions Paulownia seedlings are likely to survive to maturity.