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The Effects Of Fire On The Vernal Herbs Of An Eastern Mesic Forest, David Randolph Kem
The Effects Of Fire On The Vernal Herbs Of An Eastern Mesic Forest, David Randolph Kem
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The effects of fire on vernal herbs of the mesic forests of eastern North America are poorly understood. I studied the influence of prescribed fire on species richness, abundance of rare and common species, and density of exotics in the vernal herbaceous layer. To determine these effects, three sites in central Kentucky were surveyed prior to and following one of three treatments: spring burn, winter burn, or negative control. I conducted low-intensity spring burns in April 2010 and winter burns in February 2011. I used chi square analyses to test for changes in species richness, abundance of rare species, abundance …