Fuel load prediction equations that made use of aerial photographs were developed for Mixed Conifer, Ponderosa Pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and Pinyon–Juniper ( Pinus edulis Engelm.)–( Juniperus monosperma Engelm.) cover types from one-time measurements made in the Santa Fe watershed (SFWS) located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, and at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) located in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. The results of the watershed data set were favorable and exhibited a high degree of relative accuracy. The results from the LANL data set did not share the same degree of accuracy, but rather exhibited a high degree of error. Use of these or similar prediction equations may be limited to certain regions and community types that exhibit similar regional characteristics such as terrain, soil, and weather conditions. Applied use of the prediction equations required less time than traditional fuel sampling performed onsite, but suffered from a loss of accuracy. It is strongly suggested that additional study of this method be undertaken to generate more accurate and reliable equations. Hopefully, more accurate equations may augment existing fuel sampling techniques and be put to practical use for fire planning purposes.

Little has been reported on the effects of repeated prescribed burning on southern United States’ forest soils, especially when site preparation is not the prescribed fire objective. This study was aimed at identifying any correlations between the soil chemical properties among differing burn intervals and the effects prescribed burning has on them. Sampling was performed in 36 plots at three sites with two different burn intervals (2–3 years and biannually) and measured properties: (1) pre-burn (before the fire), (2) post-burn (one month after the fire), and (3) at vegetation green-up (three months after the fire). Sites varied by overstory species with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) in the overstory on one site, a mix of loblolly pine (P taeda L.) and shortleaf pine on another, and longleaf and loblolly pines on the third. SAS was used to determine the effects of prescribed burning between different time spans (pre-burn to post-burn, post-burn to green-up, and pre-burn to green-up) and between the two different burn intervals. We found that there could be short-term responses in soil chemical properties from repeated burning treatments including nitrogen in the forms of ammonium and nitrate, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and electrical conductivity, all of which decreased following fire regardless of overstory species.

While land reclamation efforts of surface mines have considerably increased soil stability since the implementation of SMCRA (Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act), research suggests that resulting soil compaction hinders the productivity of forests post-mining. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) was developed to improve forest health in the Appalachian region through a five-step process that minimizes soil compaction and establishes a productive forest. The FRA has not yet been tested in the western Gulf Coastal Plain (GCP). The higher clay content of some GCP soils and the dearth of coarse fragments (e.g., cobbles, stones and boulders) may affect reclamation practices and the ability of these methods to create productive forests. Compaction caused by conventional reclamation methods in the GCP has not been studied in great detail. Thus, this study attempts to provide a comparison of two reclamation methods, FRA low-compaction method used in the Appalachian region with that of conventional scraper-pan (scraper) methods in the GCP. This study used the FRA with common silvicultural practices of the western Gulf. The two hectare study site was installed with a randomized complete block design with three replicates comparing conventional scraper reclamation used in the region with that of an unmined control and the FRA-style low compaction treatment. Following soil reclamation, containerized loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings of a western Gulf provenance were hand-planted. Soil chemical and physical parameters were assessed on each treatment to determine the effect the FRA and scraper method had on resulting tree seedling growth and survival. After three growing seasons, seedlings in the FRA plots had significantly greater tree volumes than both the scraper (p = 0.0139) and the control (p = 0.0247) treatments. The FRA plots also had a 97% survival rate, while scraper plots had a survival of 86%. The FRA plots had significantly lower soil bulk densities than scraper (p = 0.0353) and control (p < 0.0001) plots which likely influenced growth and survival trends. Soil nutrients were increasingly available on the FRA and scraper plots, likely due to mixing of the soil profile when compared to the unmined control. Leaf-level water potential and gas exchange were not correlated to growth and survival and did not differ among treatments. These results suggest reclamation practices modeled after FRA methods may benefit tree growth and survival in the Western Gulf.

Little is known regarding the effects of prescribed burning on soil water infiltration and soil physical properties in Western Gulf Coast forests dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), shortleaf pine (P. echinata), or loblolly pine (P. taeda). Soil water infiltration rates were measured pre-burn (before the fire), post-burn (one month after the fire), and at green-up (three months after the fire) in areas utilizing prescribed fire with different rotations and seasons. The National Forests and Grasslands of Texas predominantly perform dormant season burns every two to three years, while the Winston 8 Land and Cattle Ltd. Tree Farm often burned biannually during the dormant season, but occasionally during the growing season. Soil samples were also collected to determine the effects of prescribed burning on soil pH, bulk density, particle density, pore space, soil strength, O-horizon weight and depth (organic matter), and water-stable aggregates. There was a significant increase in soil water infiltration rates between pre-burn and post-burn and pre-burn and green-up, and between the two different burn intervals. Soil strength initially decreased slightly, but then increased over time. Soil-stable aggregates increased significantly over time, and soil physical properties that significantly changed included soil bulk density, pore space, water-stable soil aggregates, and soil strength. This study found there could be short-term (2–3 years) responses on soil physical properties and soil water infiltration rates from repeated burning treatments, regardless of overstory species.