Early Post-Felling Response of Marquesia Woodland to Burning in the Zambian Copperbelt

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Abstract
(1) Two series of adjacent plots, one under early-burning and the other late-burning regimes, were set up in Marquesia woodland. Each series consisted for four plots representing standing and clear-felled woodland at 1.3 m (breast) height, 0.3 m (stump) height and below-ground. The experiment was designed to determine the effect on regeneration of woodland felled at different heights (for charcoal production) and under different burning regimes. (2) Regeneration in the plots was largely of seedling origin but because stumps and roots of cut trees bore multiple stems, regeneration from trunk- and root-suckers dominated stem populations in the coppiced plots. The difference in stump mortality in plots felled at breast- and stump-height was not significant. (3) Although stem mortality differed significantly under different cutting treatments it was generally much higher in late-burnt than in early-burnt plots. Although the population of dead stems was dominated by Albizia adianthifolia, Baphia bequaertii and Marquesia macroura, only A. adiathifolia and M. macroura appeared to be less fire-tolerant.

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