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Changes In Fire Regimes And The Successional Status Of Table Mountain Pine (Pinus Pungens Lamb.) In The Southern Appalachians, Usa, Michael R. Armbrister

Masters Theses

Table Mountain pine is a tree species endemic to the southern Appalachians that is heavily dependent on repeated surface fires for successful regeneration. Since the implementation of fire suppression as a forest management tool in the early 1900s, the fire frequency in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding National Forests has been dramatically altered. Without fire, Table Mountain pine will not persist in the southern Appalachian Mountains. I used dendrochronology to analyze the fire history and current age structure of Table Mountain pine populations. This approach provided baseline information on the current successional status of Table Mountain pine stands …