A Comparison of Stand Structure and Fire History in Two Black Oak Woodlands in Northwestern Indiana

Abstract

The composition and structure of two black oak woodlands in northwestern Indiana are examined Current conditions are compared with those existing in the early 1800s, based on public land survey records of the two areas. Fire histories during the past 50 yr are reconstructed from fire scars, age-class distributions, and fire-control records. On the basis of this information, we concluded that frequency and intensity of fire strongly influence stand structure and succession in these black oak woodlands.