%0 Journal Article %J BioScience %D 1992 %T Fire and the development of oak forests %A Abrams, M.D. %K fire %X

Fire, whether it has occurred to a low, moderate, or high degree, seems to be the common denominator for the development of oak forests on upland sites and their past and present ecological status. This article reviews pre- and postsettlement forest conditions for the major oak dominated ecosystems throughout eastern North America to discern how the influence of fire and human activity have affected the past and present ecology of oak forests and how these factors will likely continue to affect forests in the future

%B BioScience %V 42 %P 346 -353 %G eng %M KNZ00344 %R http://www.jstor.org/stable/1311781 %0 Conference Proceedings %D 1991 %T Effects of fire exclusion on tallgrass prairie and gallery forest communities in eastern Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %A D.J. Gibson %E Nodvin, S.C. %E Waldrop, T.A. %K tallgrass prairie %X

The purpose of this review is to synthesize a long-term body of research dealing with fire exclusion effects on tallgrass prairie and gallery forest communities on Konza Prairie in eastern Kansas. Upland and lowland prairie communities burned in spring at intervals ranging from 1-11 years were consistently dominated (79-90 percent cover) by Andropogon gerardii. With this increasing interval between fires other dominant warm-season grasses, A. scoparius and Sorghastrum nutans, had decreased cover, whereas forbs and woody species had increased cover. Aboveground biomass was higher on an annual burned versus unburned lowland prairie, due to stimulated graminoid production. Sites unburned for 10 or more years were converting to woodlands dominated by Juniperus, Ulmus, Gleditsia and Celtis. Older gallery forests occurred in stream channels and ravines and were comprised of overstory Quercus and Celtis and understory Celtis, Cercis and Ulmus. The extent of gallery forests on Konza Prairie dramatically increased from the time of European settlement (1850) to present; this has been attributed to decreased fire frequency and intensity in the region. With continued fire exclusion this century further succession in these forests has caused oak replacement by more shade tolerant species

%I Southeastern Forest Experiment Station %P 3 -10 %G eng %M KNZ00302 %0 Journal Article %J The Southwestern Naturalist %D 1988 %T Effects of burning regime on buried seed banks and canopy coverage in Kansas tallgrass prairie %A Abrams, M.D. %K tallgrass prairie %X

Vegetation cover and buried seeds were studied on three upland sites burned at different intervals (unburned, 4-year burn, and annual burn) in tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas. Vegetation of all sites (89 species total) was dominated by Andropogon gerardii (76 to 81% cover). Schizachyrium scoparium and Sorghastrum nutans cover was higher, whereas Poa pratensis and Sporobolus hererolepis cover was lower on more frequently than on less frequently burned sites. A total of 735 seedlings comprising 28 species were recorded in soil samples from the three treatments. Seed density was variable within and between treatments but was generally highest in unburned treatment and lowest in annually burned prairie. Many Sporobolus cryptandrus were recorded in each treatment. The number of forb seedlings was not significantly different between treatments and was dominated by Erigeron strigosus and Oxalis stricta. Many species that germinated from buried seeds were not recorded as vegetation on the site, and much of the vegetation was not represented as seedlings. The scarcity of viable buried seeds of the dominant tallgrasses and forbs suggest that they are highly dependent on vegetative propagation

%B The Southwestern Naturalist %V 33 %P 65 -70 %G eng %M KNZ00166 %R 10.2307/3672089 %0 Journal Article %J Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science %D 1988 %T Effects of prescribed fire on woody vegetation in a gallery forest understory in northeastern Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %K gallery forest %X

Woody vegetation in the understory of a gallery forest dominated by large bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) trees in eastern Kansas was surveyed before (1983) and after two years of annual prescribed burning in April (1984 and 1985). Elm (Ulmus spp.) was the dominant reproduction on the area before burning and increased after burning because of prolific basal sprouting. Five rarer species, including bur oak and chinquapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii), were recorded in 1983 or 1984, but were absent in 1985. Sapling density averaged 1200 per ha prior to burning in 1983 and 0.0 after burning in 1984 and 1985. Total shrub cover significantly decreased from 59.9 percent in 1983 to 9.5 percent in 1985, as a result of decreases in buckbrush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) and rough-leaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii)

%B Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science %V 91 %P 63 -70 %G eng %M KNZ00167 %R 10.2307/3628339 %0 Journal Article %J Forest Science %D 1988 %T Genetic variation in leaf morphology and plant and tissue water relations during drought in Cercis canadensis . L %A Abrams, M.D. %K Water relations %X

Genetic variation in plant and tissue water relations in response to drought, and in leaf morphology, were examined in greenhouse-grown Cercis canadensis L. (eastern redbud) seedlings originating from seed obtained in three contrasting habitats: a relatively xeric Kansas prairie, a Kansas gallery forest understory, and a relatively mesic Indiana understory. Kansas prairie redbud maintained significantly greater leaf conductance (gwv) during a 13-day drought than did Kansas and Indiana understory redbud, despite similar decreases in leaf water potential in all three sources. Moreover, Kansas paririe redbud had significantly lower osmotic potentials at full and zero turgor compared to Indiana redbud at both the early and later stages of drought. Kansas understory redbud was the only source to undergo a signigicant decrease in relative water content at zero turgor and the bulk modulus of elasticity during drought. Kansas prairie redbud leaver were smaller and thicker and had higher specific leaf mass (i.e., more xerophytic) than understory redbud leaves. Kansas understory redbud had intermediate characteristics in terms of gwv at the early to middle stages of drought, osmotic potentials at high and low leaf water potential, and leaf area and thickness compared to Kansas prairie and Indiana understory redbud. These results suggest that genetically controlled physiological and morphological adaptation has occurred in redbud that should facilitate its survival in greatly contrasting habitats. ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS: Ecophysiology, Kansas prairie, gallery forest, Indiana understory, leaf morphology

%B Forest Science %V 34 %P 200 -207 %G eng %M KNZ00165 %0 Journal Article %J The American Midland Naturalist %D 1987 %T Effect of topographic position and fire on species composition in tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %A Hulbert, L.C. %K tallgrass prairie %X

Plant species composition was evaluated on shallow upland and deep lowland soils in annually burned and unburned watersheds in an eastern Kansas Flint Hills tallgrass prairie. Species richness was higher in upland than lowland communities. Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) was dominant on all sites (cover=70-96%) and was not significantly affected by topographic position or burn treatment, whereas, A. scoparius (little bluestem) and Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) increased with burning. Cover of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) was higher on lowland soils, but burning differences were not significant. Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), the dominant cool-season grass, was not affected by topography but was greatly reduced by annual burning. Cover of most forb and woody species was reduced on burned areas but species were differentially affected by topography. One exception was the woody species Amorpha canescens (leadplant), which had its highest cover on burned lowland soils

%B The American Midland Naturalist %V 117 %P 442 -445 %G eng %M KNZ00132 %R 10.2307/2425988 %0 Journal Article %J Forest Ecology and Management %D 1987 %T Leaf structural and photosynthetic pigment characteristics of three gallery-forest hardwood species in northeast Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %K leaf %K photosynthesis %K pigment %X

Leaf structural and photosynthetic pigment characteristics were measured in three dominant gallery-forest hardwood species in northeast Kansas, U.S.A. Leaves of Quercus macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii (more-xeric, shade-intolerant species) had significantly greater thickness, specific mass, stomatal densities and guard cell lengths than leaves of Celtis occidentalis (more-mesic, shade-tolerant). Except for guard cell lengths, these findings are consistent with differences between xeric and mesic species and shade-intolerant and shade-tolerant species. These gallery-forest species generally had much greater stomatal densities and/or lower guard-cell lengths compared to the same species or genera growing in more mesic forests further in the east of the U.S. Compared to C. occidentalis, the Quercus species had significantly greater total chlorophyll and carotenoids, but similar chlorophyll-a:b ratios. The chlorophyll findings contradict the established idea that shade-tolerant species have greater total chlorophyll and lower chlorophyll-a:b ratios, but may be related to exceptional site and climatic factors

%B Forest Ecology and Management %V 22 %P 261 -266 %G eng %M KNZ00131 %R 10.1016/0378-1127(87)90110-1 %0 Book Section %B Symposium on Prescribed Burning in the Midwest %D 1986 %T Ecological role of fire in gallery forests in eastern Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %E Koonce, A. %K fire %K forest %X

The historical role of fire was studies in the gallery forests on Konza Prairie in eastern Kansas. Quercus macrocarpa and Celtis occidentalis dominated mesic and/or intermediate sites, whereas Q. muehlenbergii dominated the more xeric sites. An evaluation of fire history using oak species suggest a mean fire interval of 11-20 years or less since the mid-1800s. Nonetheless, a dramatic expansion of the gallery forests has occurred from 1859-1978. It also appears that Q. macrocarpa is being replaced by C. occidentalis on the mesic sites and that Q. muehlenbergii is being replaced by Cercis canadensis on the more xeric sites. Prescribed burning in a Q. macrocarpa dominated stand resulted in an increase in Ulmus spp. sprouts and a reduction in samplings from 1200 per ha to 0 and in shrub cover from 60% to 9%. These studies suggest that fire has been an historical factor affecting the distribution, composition and successful dynamics of gallery forests in eastern Kansas

%B Symposium on Prescribed Burning in the Midwest %I University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point %C Stevens Point, WI %P 73 -80 %G eng %M KNZ00108 %0 Journal Article %J Vegetatio %D 1986 %T Historical development of gallery forest in northeast Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %K tallgrass prairie %X

Woody vegetation, soils, age-diameter relationships and historical development are described for 18 gallery forest stands on Konza Prairie, a tallgrass prairie reserve in northeast Kansas. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) coupled with the importance values of dominant species was used to identify four stand types in these forests: Quercus muehlenbergii, Q. muehlenbergii-Q. macrocarpa, Q. macrocarpa-Q. muehlenbergii, and Celtis occidentalis-Q. macrcocarpa. Location of these groups on the first DCA axis was correlated with decreasing slope and increasing percent silt (i.e. a moisture gradient form xeric to mesic). Shrub cover increased with droughtness and decreased with both stand basal area and total reproduction. Original Land Office Survey suggest a dramatic expansion of gallery forests along the stream channels and ravines during the period from 1859-1939. Further expansion occurred through 1978. Increases in woody vegetation were attributed to decreased fire intensity and frequency since European settlement. Q. macrocarpa and/or Q. muehlenbergii were the oldest and largest trees in each stand, but were poorly represented as young trees and seedlings. In contrast, Celtis occidentalis, Cercis canadensis and Ulmus spp. were well represented as young trees and were vigorously reproducing singly or in combination in all stands. The growth of these species into trees occurred 10 to 30 years after the major recruitment of Q. macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii into the tree size class. It suggested that the oaks will be replaced by C. occidentalis on the more mesic sites and by C. canadensis on the more xeric sites. The potential of Ulmus spp. as an overstory dominant is probably limited by the Dutch Elm Disease

%B Vegetatio %V 65 %P 29 -37 %G eng %M KNZ00105 %R 10.1007/BF00032124 %0 Journal Article %J Canadian Journal of Forestry Resources %D 1986 %T Physiological plasticity in water relations and leaf structure of understory versus open-grown Cercis canadensis in northeastern Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %K Water relations %X

Field and laboratory studies were used to evaluate physiological plasticity in water relations and leaf structural characteristics of Cercis canadensis L. (redbud) saplings growing in a gallery forest understory and an adjacent prairie in eastern Kansas. Two study periods were defined based on high (greater than -0.2 MPa in May) and low (-1.5 MPa in July) predawn soil water potential ( soil) Leaf conductance to water vapor diffusion (gwv) was greater for prairie than understory redbud saplings during both sampling periods (maximum gwv=7.5-8.7 mm s-1) Moreover, gwv for prairie redbud remained high at both high and low soil, but was significantly lower for understory redbud during midday at low soil. Transpiration flux was also higher in the prairie than in the understory site and reach a maximum for prairie redbud (318 mg m-2s-1) in July, in conjunction with high leaf to air vapor pressure deficits (maximum 5.3 kPa). Leaf water potential declined significantly at both sites with decreased soil and the minimum values (-3.0 MPa) were recorded in understory redbud. Leaves of prairie redbud were significantly smaller, thicker, and had higher specific leaf mass and stomatal density than leaves of understory redbud, which are consistent with differences between zeric and mesic species, respectively. These differences in water relations and leaf morphology between understory and prairie redbud suggest a high degree of physiological plasticity for this species in eastern Kansas

%B Canadian Journal of Forestry Resources %V 16 %P 1170 -1174 %G eng %M KNZ00104 %R 10.1139/x86-208 %0 Journal Article %J Forest Science %D 1986 %T Seasonal water relations of three gallery forest hardwood species in northeast Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %A Alan K. Knapp %K Water relations %X

Field and laboratory studies were used to evaluate several water relations characteristics for saplings of three species: hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), a mesic, late successional tree, and bur and chinquapin oak (Quercus macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii), more xeric, early successional trees growing in a northeast Kansas gallery forest understory during a dry summer. For all species, maximum stomatal conductance (gwv) (8.9-9.5 mm*s-1) was recorded early in the season when soil moisture was greatest. Seasonally, sunlit leaves generally had significantly higher gwv than shaded leaves. Both gwv and leaf water potential decreased during the season in each species, with minimum leaf water potential values ranging from - 2.13 to -2.48 MPa. Seasonally, leaf water potential remained consistently higher than the osmotic potential at zero turgor for each species (minimum values of zero turgor ranged from -2.61 to -3.02 MPa). Hackberry, the most mesic species, experienced the largest seasonal decrease in gwv in both shaded and sunlit leaves (69% and 78% reduction, respectively). Moreover, in contrast to the two oaks, a significant seasonal decline in 600 h leaf water potential was shown for hackberry. By season's end, hackberry had the lowest gwv and leaf water potential suggesting that this species was better able to utilize late season precipitation. Additional key words: Quercus, Celtis, ecophysiology, prairie, drought

%B Forest Science %V 32 %P 687 -696 %G eng %M KNZ00107 %0 Journal Article %J American Journal of Botany %D 1986 %T A ten-year record of aboveground biomass in a Kansas tallgrass prairie: effects of fire and topographic position %A Abrams, M.D. %A Alan K. Knapp %A Hulbert, L.C. %K tallgrass prairie %X

Measurements of mid-season live and dead aboveground biomass are reported for a 10 year period (1975- 1984) in a northeast Kansas tallgrass prairie. Study sites included shallow, rocky upland and deep, nonrocky lowland soils in annually burned (April) and unburned watersheds. Lowland sites had significantly greater live biomass than upland sites for both burned and unburned prairie for the 10 year period. Moreover, live biomass was greater on burned than unburned lowland sites, but was not significantly increased by fire on the upland sites. Averaged across upland and lowland sites, mid-season live biomass was 422 g m-2 on annually burned and 364 g m-2 on unburned sites for the 10 year period. Each site had its lowest live biomass value during the severe drought year of 1980 (range=185-299 g m-2). During the study period, live biomass was most strongly correlated with seasonal pan water evaporation (r=-0.45 to -0.82), whereas dead biomass was correlated with the previous years precipitation (r=0.62 and 0.90 for upland and lowland sites, respectively). When aboveground biomass was sampled throughout the 1984 season and separated into several components, biomass of the graminoids was 40% lower, whereas that of forbs and woody plants was 200-300% greater in the unburned than in the annually burned site

%B American Journal of Botany %V 73 %P 1509 -1515 %G eng %M KNZ00106 %R  http://www.jstor.org/stable/2443856 %0 Journal Article %J Forest Ecology and Management %D 1985 %T Age-diameter relationships of Quercus species in relation to edaphic factors in gallery forests in northeast Kansas %A Abrams, M.D. %X

Age-diameter relationships were evaluated for Quercus macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii in relation to soil and topographic factors in 18 gallery forest stands in northeast Kansas. Tree diameter was significantly correlated with age (r2=0.33- 0.96,P< 0.05) for Q. macrocarpa and Q. muehlenbergii in 81% and 85% of the stands, respectively, when seven or more individuals of either species were surveyed, indicating that variation in growth rates of these species was low within most of the stands. However, considerable variation in growth rates of these species was evident between stands, which was not explained by differences in stand density. High growth rates for Q. macrocarpa were correlated (P< 0.05) with low topographic slope (r=0.54), and low available soil NH4 (r=0.73) and NO3 (r=0.72, whereas high growth rates for Q. muehlenbergii were correlated with high K (r=0.62), suggesting that edaphic factors influence growth rates of these species

%B Forest Ecology and Management %V 13 %P 181 -193 %G eng %M KNZ0077 %R 10.1016/0378-1127(85)90033-7 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Range Management %D 1985 %T An evaluation of beta attenuation for estimating aboveground biomass in a tallgrass prairie %A Alan K. Knapp %A Abrams, M.D. %A Hulbert, L.C. %K tallgrass prairie %X

The attenuation of beta particles by vegetation was evaluated as a nondestructive method for estimating aboveground biomass in tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas. Regression equations using the sum of beta attenuation measurements for each of 5 height classes within the vegetation and mean midday leaf water potential as the independent variables were used to predict live and total biomass. Live and total biomass were better predicted on burned (r2=.91 and .88, respectively) and unburned sites (r2=.71 and .70, respectively). Greater variability in the relationship between beta attentuation and biomass in unburned prairie was a result of the large and variable amount of dead biomass on unburned sites. Dead biomass was poorly predicted by beta attentuation (r2=.24- .49). Beta attentuation predicted biomass in burned tallgrass prairie within +/- 5% of harvest values until late season vegetative senescence. In unburned prairie, predictions were poorer, but the technique could still be useful if the required accuracy need be only +/- 25%

%B Journal of Range Management %V 38 %P 556 -558 %G eng %M KNZ0091 %R 10.2307/3899752 %0 Journal Article %J The American Midland Naturalist %D 1985 %T Fire history of oak gallery forests in a northeast Kansas tallgrass prairie %A Abrams, M.D. %K tallgrass prairie %X

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and chinquapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii) were repeatedly scarred from recurring fire in gallery forests on Konza Prairie in NE Kansas, and were therefore suitable for fire history evaluation. Fire scars were recorded in 23 different years, ranging from 1862 to 1983, on 19 sample trees taken from three noncontiguous gallery forest stands. The mean fire interval (MFI) calculated for these forests ranged from 11.2-19.7 years. The actual MFI, however, probably lies somewhere between that range and the historical interval for Flint Hills prairie fire of 2-3 years

%B The American Midland Naturalist %V 114 %P 188 -191 %G eng %M KNZ0076 %R 10.2307/2425255