Prescribed Fire Management in Pitch Pine Barrens Throughout New England: Burned vs. Unburned

Sadie StoneAdvisor: Peter PalmiottoM.S. Candidate, Conservation BiologyAntioch University New England Graduate School

www.pollenlibrary.com

“Pitch Pine Pete”

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“Pitch Pine Pete”

Sadie Stone

BACKGROUND

Fire Management predates European Settlement in New England

Recent fire suppression has drastically altered ecosystem dynamics in pine barren systems that are fire-adapted

Resulting in loss of rare habitats, flora and fauna

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Common Nighthawk

www.kevinkarlsonphotography.com

Lithophane thaxteri

www.species.wikimedia.org

Eastern TowheeLycia rachelae

www.entomology.ualberta.ca

Xylena thoracica

www.mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu

www.hockingphotography.smugmug.com

Whip- poor -will

Gary Martin

SO WHY IS THIS RESEARCH IMPORTANT

??

Fire Suppression = Overgrown Pine BarrensNo Pine Barrens = Habitat LossHabitat Loss = Less Biodiversity

PITCH PINE

RXFIRE

Jeff LougeeLithophane lepida lepida

QUESTION I INTEND TO ANSWER

How does herbaceous cover, vegetation composition,

understory sapling composition and tree

density differ among burned and unburned sites

?

HYPOTHESISThe unburned sites will be significantly more dense among all sinusia while also showing greater species diversity than the burned sites

www.maine.gov

METHODS 3 Locations: (OPB) Ossipee Pine Barrens (NH), (HB)

Hollis Barrens (ME) & (WB) Waterboro Barrens (ME) 25, 10m radius plots in each burned & unburned site Total: 150 plots total

JMP 4 Statistical Software ANOVA Non-Parametric Equivalent

Kruskal-Wallis Test Power Analysis

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DATA ANALYSIS

BUDGET REQUEST

Travel: $706.20

Equipment: $935.20

Expendable Supplies:$1,317.79

Publication: $75.00

Overhead: $338.17

Grand Total$3,372.36

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Sadie StoneSadie Stone

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Jeff LougeeDr. Peter Palmiotto

Parker Schuerman

Dr. Rachel ThietLindsay St. PierreLiz Pascal

All My Classmateswww.treehugger.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY YOUNGER SISTER, ABBY!

Abby Stone