Management Goals & Treatments

Which approach best prepares forest ecosystems for climate change? Adaptation options occupy a continuum of management goals related to their levels of desired change. A team of natural resource specialists and researchers developed a set of desired future conditions, objectives, and tactics for The Jones Center at Ichauway based on three climate adaptation approaches: 

RESISTANCE

Resistance treatment; Photo Credit: J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center
Resistance treatment; Photo Credit: The Jones Center at Ichauway

maintain relatively unchanged conditions over time

Strategies & Approaches: 

  • Clean out the oaks and off-site pines to enhance fuelbed characteristics and improve prescribed burning effectiveness 
  • Prescribe burn every 2 years 
  • Apply herbicide to stumps to discourage sprouting 

RESILIENCE

Prescribed burn at Jones Center; Photo Credit: J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center
Prescribed burn at Jones Center; Photo Credit: The Jones Center at Ichauway

allow some change in current conditions, but encourage eventual return to original conditions

Strategies & Approaches: 

  • Thin longleaf pine to 50 ft2/acre, removing other pine species
  • Prescribe burn every 2 years 
  • Retain upland and xeric oaks up to a maximum of 10ft2/acre 
  • Remove mesic oaks which consume a lot of water 

TRANSITION

Wiregrass in transition treatment; Photo Credit: J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center
Wiregrass in transition treatment; Photo Credit: The Jones Center at Ichauway

actively facilitate change to encourage adaptive responses

Strategies & Approaches: 

  • Thin longleaf pine to 30 ft2/acre, removing other pine species 
  • Remove mesic oaks 
  • Plant drought-tolerant, fire-facilitating oaks (turkey oak) and warm season C4 grasses (wiregrass) 
  • Prescribe burn every 2 years