Fire suppression in sandhill ecosystems leads to biotic impoverishment and reduces fine fuels needed for frequent fires. We investigated the restoration dynamics of a long-unburned endemic-rich sandhill on Florida's Lake Wales Ridge using prescribed fire with and without prior chainsaw felling of the hardwood subcanopy. Our goals were to promote survival of longleaf pines (Pinus palustris), decrease subcanopy and shrub densities and lichen cover, and increase cover of graminoids and rare forbs. Treatments were applied in 2001 and responses monitored annually through 2005. Prior felling of the subcanopy increased fire temperatures, residence times, and coverage compared to the burn-only treatment. The saw and burn treatment was effective in removing the subcanopy, but caused an undesirable increase in longleaf pine mortality. Pine mortality decreased with distance from saw and burn plots. Post-treatment shrub densities initially decreased, then increased in both treatments relative to controls. Forb densities and graminoid cover increased in both treatments and controls; increases were greater with burn treatments. Both treatments, especially saw and burn, caused compositional shifts relative to the control. Subcanopy felling as a pre-treatment for burning was effective in beginning restoration. We recommend additional fires and protection of longleaf pines to continue restoration progress. Saw and burn treatments can accelerate restoration and are a good first step toward re-establishing a frequent low-intensity fire regime.

Nomenclature: Wunderlin and Hansen (2003) unless otherwise indicated