A history of fire, disturbance, and growth in Red oak Stand in the Bancroft District, Ontario

Disturbance is integral to the regeneration and growth of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) in Ontario, and historically fire has favoured red oak regeneration (Lorimer 1985, 1989, 1993; Abrams 1992; Abrams and Nowacki 1992; Johnson 1993; Van Lear and Watt 1993). In the pre-suppression era, fire was an important disturbance event that affected forest succession and regeneration in Ontario (Cwynar 1977, 1978; Lynham 1985), and many fires burned annually overlarge areas{Howe and White 1913; Cwynar 1977, 1978; MacKay 1978; Ward and Tithecott 1993). More recently, logging has become an important disturbance factor while fire has become less important because of suppression efforts,which began in the 1920s in Ontario (Cwynar 1977, MacKay 1978, Lynham 1985). In this report, we examine the occurrence of fire, and the effects of fire and climate on the growth and regeneration of northern red oak in central Ontario. Oak and red pine (Pious resinosa Ait.) stem crosssections taken near the ground were used to determine:1) the dates of fire scars, 2) serial variations in growth, 3) periods of regeneration, and 4) the dates of growth release and suppression.