Fuels, weather, fire behavior and vegetation data pertaining to Rx fire in a young loblolly pine plantation in Jones County, Georgia

This data publication contains fuels, weather, fire behavior, crown damage, and hardwood vegetation preburn and postburn data related to a prescribed fire in a young loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation in Georgia. Treatments consisted of 2 levels of backfire frontal intensity (low and moderate) applied to a five year old loblolly pine plantation. Pre-treatment conditions and treatment response were measured after each of two postfire growing seasons, resulting in measurements taken from 1982 through 1984. This data publication also contains photographs of the control, low, and moderate fireline intensity plots along with aerial images of the study area, which was in the Lower Piedmont of Georgia about 20 miles north of Macon, Georgia, USA.
Even with intensive site preparation, invading hardwoods on Piedmont sites present strong competition to planted pines, overtopping them thereby reducing pine growth, and often resulting in sapling mortality. Pines that survive will eventually push through the hardwood canopy, resulting in a mixed pine/hardwood stand. The lack of topsoil on Piedmont sites means hardwoods are typically of little economic value, but managing for pine is economically attractive. Site preparation is mandatory after harvest or the ubiquitous hardwoods will immediately capture the site until a destructive fire again creates a mineral soil seedbed conducive to establishment of a doghair loblolly stand from nearby trees. Loblolly is a pioneer species that produces copious amounts of light-weight, wind disseminated seed almost every year. This study was designed to determine if fire introduced at age five (normal introductory age is 10-12) would help free sapling pines from hardwood competition without undue damage to the planted pine.
Original metadata date was 01/23/2015. Minor metadata updates on 12/14/2016 and 07/11/2019.