How a Growing Season Rx Fire Transformed the Composition of This Forest

A July growing season Rx fire transformed this forest from having old worn out blueberry and birch saplings to a thinned, vibrant stand with new, fresh growth and a more open oak forest.

Too much birch in the midstory is a problem in most of Pennsylvania forests after high-grade harvesting. We thinned the timber down to 20 basal area, leaving the quality oaks and maples to grow and reproduce. The result was an open, huntable stand of timber with plenty of acorns and browse.

There was still a substantial amount of birch and new birch coming up after the harvest, so burning was used to take out the saplings.

The new blueberries will populate the area and provide much better fruit crops into the future.

Blueberry and oak are fire adapted so a prescribed fire will regenerate the oak-heath forest type and get rid of thin-barked trees such as birch and beech.

Prescribed fire is an important part of forest management and can be used to improve timber stand composition, regenerate oak and provide food and cover for wildlife.

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