Succession Plan 12: Pinelands Day 3 12/3/15

Do Now: Hand in yesterday’s CW assignment. Attach “Pinelands Facts and Information” to NB page 62. NB page 63: Think about what you’ve learned about Succession so far: – What stage of succession is the Pinelands stuck in? Why? – Compare your answer to your table partner and revise, if needed. End

Today’s Task: You will work with your group from yesterday to complete the handout. Do not complete the “Closure” question. I will stop you about 5 minutes before the end of class.

Start Here:

The Pines, the Pines, the Pines are on Fire!

What makes the Pinelands so fire prone?

The Pinelands is second in the nation in fire proneness only to the chaparral of Southern California

Flat Topography

Prevailing Westerly Winds

DRY & SANDY Soil

Highly flammable plant communities (Resinous Pitch Pine and Mountain Laurel)

99% caused by humans 1% caused by natural causes (lightning)

Since fires are frequent in the Pinelands which stage of succession would you expect the forest to go back to after a fire? Why?

Forest Structure in the Pinelands

Understory Shrub layer Forest floor

Pitch Pine Canopy

Compare the structure of a Pinelands forest to the structure of the forest at Dallenbach’s.

Succession of the Fittest!

Succession in a Mid Atlantic hardwood forest includes the following steps: 1. Primary Stage Grasses and Weeds 2. Middle of Secondary Stage Young Pines 4.Climax Stage Mature Oak and Beech Pines fall to the forest floor 3. End of Secondary Stage Mature Pine with Oak and Beech Understory

But…

We are talking about the Pinelands so… A fire has raged through your mature pine forest. Do not pass into the climax stage. Return to the secondary stage. Do not collect $200.

Why don’t the Pinelands go back to primary stage after a fire?

Pitch Pines (the dominant species) survives the fire because…

Epicormic Branching The ability of a pitch pine tree to sprout from the trunk.

Serotinous Cones (Sir Rotteness) Pine cones that are tightly closed until heated by fire. Then they pop open like popcorn releasing the pine samaras.

Thick Bark Acts like a shield against fire.

Thicker Bark Serotinous Cones

How does the presence of frequent fire affect those who live in the area? What problems might homeowners and the local government face?

National Fire Protection Association has declared Wildland-Urban interface fires to be the fastest growing source of property loss.

What can be done to reduce the severity of fires?

Prescribed Burning How fire managers protect the people of the Pinelands

Prescribed burning started in New Jersey in the 1930’s as away to reduce fuel load in the leaf litter and significantly lessen the risk of a catastrophic crown fire. Today prescribed burning burns 20,000 acres per year and that number is increasing as the wildland-urban interface continues to grow.

Wind shifts can cause officials to lose control Respiratory problems Smoke Problems with Prescribed Burning

STOP!!!

1.Complete the following in place of #9!!! 2.Answer the following: – What stage of succession are the Pine Barrens “stuck” in? Why? – Why doesn’t the forest go back to the primary stage after a fire? – Explain, using the concepts of Secondary Succession Progress (NB pages ??-??), why the dominant vegetation is always pitch pine trees. Make sure you include what the usual climax community in this area is. – What adaptations do pitch pines have that make them survive and reproduce after a fire? 3. Turn it in to the front basket!!!

Primary Stage Secondary Stage Mature (Climax) Stage Fire SUCCESSION IN THE PINE BARRENS

The Pine Barrens are “stuck” in the secondary stage of succession because of the frequent fires that come through the Pine Barrens. When a fire comes through any deciduous trees (maple, oak) are burnt and killed. The pitch pine survives the fire and is able to reproduce because of its serotinous cones, thick bark and epicormic branching.

More to think about… Why doesn’t the forest go back to the primary stage after a fire? Explain why the dominant vegetation is always pitch pine trees. What adaptations do pitch pines have that make them survive and reproduce after a fire?