Prescribed Fire Effects on Woodland Structure, Light Levels and Understory Plant Communities in Missouri Oak-Hickory Woodlands

Prescribed fire is a tool used to manage oak-hickory woodlands for wildlife habitat. This study examined how prescribed fire affected woodland structure and how this structure alters transmittance of light within Drury-Mincy Conservation Area, (Taney County, Missouri). Sampling occurred in twenty 0.1 ha plots established in 2007. Plots represented: unburned degraded woodlands that were not burned since the mid twentieth century (n = 6), recently burned degraded woodlands that were prescribed fire in 2000, 2003, and 2008 (n = 6), and open woodlands that have been burned since the 1980s and were used as a "reference” (n = 8). Principal component analysis indicated that most of the variance in these sample woodland areas was accounted for by the proportion of understory graminoids, understory species richness, and slope. There was a significant difference in light levels between burned and unburned woodlands. This study also examined if canopy closure provides a representative measure of the light available to understory plant populations because canopy closure measured with a concave spherical densiometer is often used as a surrogate for light measures. There was a significant linear relationship between canopy closure and transmittance of photosynthetically active radiation. In addition, both of these variables were positively correlated with species richness and Shannon's diversity index.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Biology

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year

2012

Author dc:creator

• Gehringer, Rebecca

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alexander Wait

• fire
• species richness
• PAR transmittance
• canopy cover
• densiometer
• Biology

Statement dc:rights

• © Rebecca Gehringer

Repository record dc:identifier

https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1314

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2315