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Influence of a Wildfire in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
Author(s) -
Penfound William T.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936555
Subject(s) - revegetation , coppicing , geography , grassland , ecology , wildlife , shrubland , deserts and xeric shrublands , biology , forestry , agroforestry , woody plant , ecological succession , ecosystem , habitat
A devastating wildfire in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, August 1—6, 1963, destroyed the aerial parts of nearly all the trees in certain areas. Revegetation was observed during the following 3 years. Although considerable coppice was produced by Quercus stellata and Q. marilandica, very little was consumed by browsing animals. No coppice was produced by Juniperus virginiana. Much of the predominant Andropogon scoparius was destroyed. Utilization of grasses in the burned areas by bison was tremendous, but decreased gradually from 1964 through 1966. In ungrazed plots certain plants appeared during the first growing season and disappeared thereafter. However, Conyza canadensis reached a peak during the second year after the burn (1965) but disappeared the next year (1966). Another group of plants increased throughout the period of study, especially Ambrosia psilostachya, Andropogon gerardi, Muhlenbergia sobolifera, and Panicum malacophyllum. The severely burned areas apparently will revert to grassland or shrubland since tree reproduction has been very meager.