Natural Community- Xeric Oak Hammock (Stage 1)

Shubuta, Sparr, and Zuber (Soil Conservation Society of America, 1987).

FUEL MODEL:  Fuel Model 9 is best fit for modeling the fire behavior of this stage.  Fire spread occurs primarily through surface fuels dominated by oak leaf litter.  Duff and litter can significantly contribute to the smoldering combustion phase under moderate to severe drought conditions in areas of better drained topography and soils.

TYPICAL FIRE BEHAVIOR:   [Using FBPS: FM 9, FFM 8, LFM 100, MFW 5 - 10] (Refer to page 32)

Note:  When mechanical treatment is used as a pre-burn treatment, fuel Models 11 to 13 should be considered as FBPS inputs dependent on amount of new dead fuel load created by the pre-treatment.

DESIRED STAGE: This single stage community is in the condition at which xeric oak hammock communities are to be maintained.

RESTORATION/MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL

• Restoration Phase:
  

1. There is some argument that xeric hammocks are human-caused habitats due to fire suppression and other historic disturbance activities.  Experimental restoration projects attempting to restore these mature oak dominated sites to short shrub size xeric oak scrub could be implemented using mechanical treatments with follow-up prescribed fire.  Mechanically altering this system changes the fuel model . Depending on the mechanical treatment by-product, Fuel Models 11 to 13 would be viable alternatives as inputs into the FBPS.
   

• Maintenance/Management Phase:
  

1. Mixed season prescribed fires at a 10 to 15 year fire interval.
   

• Special Management Concerns:
  

• Soil disturbance as avenue for exotics.
  
• Avoid hydrologic/topographic alteration such as ditching and fire-plow scars.
  
• Prescribed burning mechanical treatment by-product to dry and causing excessive soil sterilization.
  

• Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
  
• Malabar Scrub Sanctuary
  
• Buck Lake Conservation Area
  

General Fire Effects & Management Considerations

97