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Creation Date
4-24-2025
Description
When prescribed fire is utilized to control invading tree species in rangelands in concert with grazing, it can provide an increase in grass cover concomitant with a reduction in tree cover. However, over time a lack of woody browsing may lead to increases in brush cover that may outcompete grass species. Following a prescribed 2022 fire to reduce woody species’ abundance, we measured post-fire Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) characteristics along a transitional sumac edge from interior, stand-edge, and exterior quadrats. Key aspects we measured at all three transition stages included stem counts (both fire-killed and alive post-fire), bare ground percentage, basal and canopy level woody stem counts, and stem heights for both live and dead stems. Our results indicated that the ratio of dead to live sumac stems was not different along the stand transition, however the relative height of alive vs. dead stems increased from interior through stand-edge to exterior quadrats. Average stem counts and heights were greatest on interior quadrats, while bare ground was greatest at stand-edge quadrats. Apparently, prescribed fire in the absence of woody browsers may invigorate sumac stand expansion and persistence.
Keywords
SWOSU Research Fair, Research and Scholarly Activity Fair, Scholarly Activity, Research, Student Research, Research Fair