Prescribed fire promotes regeneration in a mature eastern white pine forest

Although evidence indicates that fire exclusion may result in substantial short- and long-term changes to forest stand structure and composition, the long-term effects on eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) stands remain largely unknown. We investigated the response of trees and understory vegetation after prescribed burning in a mature white pine stand in northern Ontario, Canada. Overall, the results highlight fire severity as a driving influence on the successional trajectory of white pine stands. The findings support low to moderate prescribed burning of mature white pine-dominated forests as an effective means to retain a white pine component within areas of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region.