#19 | Fire University - The role of fire in perpetuating oak dominance in upland hardwoods, ft. Dr. Heather Alexander & Dr. Steve Brewer

Natural Resources University · Feb 2, 2021 · 55m

Fire was playing an important role in upland hardwood ecosystems when the current mature oaks germinated a century ago. While those mature oaks are still common in the overstory, the next generation of oaks to replace them are not present across much of the central hardwoods and Appalachian regions. Instead, fire exclusion over the last several decades allowed mesophytic (moisture-retaining) species like sweetgum and red maple to get established and begin a transition to non-oak dominance in these forests. In this week's episode of Fire University, Dr. Marcus Lashley sits down with Dr…