Prescribed Fire in Pond Pine Cover Types

Prescribed fire is used in pond pine communities for fuel management, ecological purposes such as maintenance of biodiversity, maintenance of plant and animal habitat, and for silvicultural purposes. Silvicultural use of fire in pond pine stands encompasses fuel reduction, seedbed preparation and seed dissemination (i.e., opening of serotinous cones).

The type of fire management program implemented in a pond pine cover type will depend on management goals and community type. Several issues emerge:

• Though pond pine grows on mineral soils it is often found on sites with organic soils or organic surface horizons. One must consider smoke management and fire control (See Organic Soils
• section) when burning on such sites.
• Likewise, many pond pine sites have very high fuel loads (i.e., pocosins, shrub bogs and flatwoods) so burns must be broken into manageable units with regards to fire control and smoke production. When burning large blocks, the amount of smoke produced may exceed regulatory guidelines because of fuel loads and size of burn unit (see smoke management).
• Some pond pine sites fall within jurisdictional wetlands, thus depending on management goals (i.e., timber management vs. other management), activities associated with a fire management program (fire lines, some restoration activities) may require wetland permits. Consult local, state, and federal regulatory agencies to determine if permits are required.
• Selecting a fire regime (return intervals and fire seasons) for a fire program will depend on management goals and the community type in which pond pine occurs. A fire return interval of 5 to 8 years has been recommended for pond pine woodlands managed to promote canebrake communities (Robertson et al. 1998). Depending on management goals other return intervals may also be appropriate. Lightning season fires have also been recommended because they mimic the natural fire regime, however, dormant season fires may be necessary when initiating a fire program in order to reduce fuel loads.

For further discussion on prescribed fire in pond pine communities see Prescribed fire in Slash Pine, Prescribed fire in Longleaf Pine, and Prescribed Fire in Pocosins.