frequent fires.  Longleaf pine habitats of the past were likely maintained by 'periodic hot summer fires.'  In areas with less frequent fire, red-cockaded woodpeckers habitat occurred on steep slopes.  There, hardwoods did not reach the lower branches of some pines, and pine regeneration could occur [7].  Without fire, pines are replaced by fire intolerant hardwoods [24, 7].  Fire helps to reclaim or maintain the open woodlands preferred by red-cockaded woodpeckers for both foraging and nesting [23].  Fire helps to maintain low midstories [16, 22]. Elimination or extensive suppression of fire from red-cockaded woodpecker habitat could result in habitat abandonment by red-cockaded woodpeckers [7].

FIRE USE:

Prescribed fire is an important tool in managing southern pine ecosystems for red-cockaded woodpeckers [24, 23, 25, 26,].  Periodic prescribed fire may be the only practical tool for preventing hardwoods from growing into the midstory and allowing red-cockaded woodpecker colonies can persist for several generations [16, 25].  The maintenance of an open pine forest generally requires prescribed burning at 3-year intervals [27], although fire may be needed less frequently in areas away from coastal plains [7].

Southern pine beetles have caused extensive tree mortality in red-cockaded woodpecker habitat.  Problems with beetles can be greatly reduced if fire is restored because trees are more vigorous and more widely spaced [7].  Mortality from southern pine beetles increases with stand density [28].

Summer headfires have long flames that may take out most of the pine understory but have the potential to ignite the overstory crowns.  This type of prescribed fire can be used to eradicate the pine understory for red-cockaded woodpecker habitat improvement [29].  Conner and Locke [30] made the following recommendations for prescribed burning in colony sites:

1. Plow a fireline 197 feet (60 m) from the edges of colony sites and burn colony sites separately
2. Rake fuel at least 10 feet (3 m) away from the bases of trees with abundant resin
3. Keep fire suppression equipment available
4. Burn colony sites with backfires at least every 3 years to prevent excessive fuel accumulations

When burning in longleaf pine-turkey oak (Quercus laevis)/wiregrass (Aristida stricta) communities during the breeding season, Stamps and others [23] gave the following precautions:

1. Burn early in the day while ambient temperatures are relatively low
2. Burn only in sites with light fuel accumulations
3. Backfire 33 feet (10 m) to the windward side of cavity trees before allowing headfire to approach
4. Burn in colony sites only after nests have been identified
5. Remove woody vegetation from around cavity trees

They also stated that when burning in plant communities with potential for severe fire, it may be necessary to use additional protective measures recommended by Conner and Locke [30].