Prescribed Fire in Scrub Oak Habitat in Central Pennsylvania

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Abstract
The influence of prescribed fire on scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) habitat was investigated to determine changes in some soil nutrients important in wildlife food plants, some nutritional characteristics of the plants, and their use by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Analysis of the soil humus layer revealed that higher amounts of exchangeable Ca, higher pH, and lower exchangeable K resulted from burning. The sum of the biomass in herbage and leaves and shoots of woody species was doubled by burning, an effect that held constant for 4 growing seasons following the fire. Increases were noted in the concentrations of crude protein, P, K, Ca, and Mg in July samples of scrub oak foliage; crude protein in blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) foliage; and Mg in teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens). K concentrations in teaberry were reduced initially by burning, but returned to normal in subsequent growing seasons. Summer browsing of scrub oak by deer was greatest on the most recently burned plots, but use tended to decrease as the time since burning increased.