Viability of litter-stored <i>Quercus falcata</i> Michx. acorns after simulated prescribed winter burns

Title:	Viability of litter-stored Quercus falcata Michx. acorns after simulated prescribed winter burns
Author(s):	Cain, Michael D.; Shelton, Michael G.
Date:	1998
Source:	International Journal of Wildland Fire. 8(4): 199-203.
Description:	Partially stratified (11 days) southern red oak (Quercus falcata Michx.) acorns were placed at three depths in a reconstructed forest floor and subjected to simulated prescribed winter burns. Within the forest floor, acorns were placed within the L layer, at the upper-F/ lower-F interface, and at the lower-F/mineral-soil interface. Winds for a backfire and headfire were generated by electric box-fans. After the burns, acorns were transferred to moist sand flats, stratified for an additional 16 days, then assessed for viability during a 45-day germination test. As depth within the forest floor increased, germinative capacity of acorns increased. All acorns placed within the L layer during prescribed burning failed to germinate. Germinative capacity of acorns placed at the upper-F/lower-F interface was lower (P=0.03) in the backfire (8.75 percent) than in the headfire (55.00 percent). At the lower-F/mineral-soil interface, there was no difference (P=0.09) in germinative capacity between backfire (92 percent) and headfire (89 percent), and their mean was no different (P=0.26) than the 93 percent achieved by unburned control acorns.
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Viability of litter-stored Quercus falcata Michx. acorns after simulated prescribed winter burns