Picture Creek

Evaluating a Prescribed Burn at Picture Creek

Picture Creek is a diabase barren in Butner, North Carolina. The stand was burned to control loblolly pine regeneration following a basal area reduction cut, which was performed to create a shortleaf pine-oak-hickory woodland. In these videos, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Research Stations Division Forest Manager David Schnake discusses the objectives of the burn, then evaluates the post-burn fire effects to assess whether those objectives were achieved. The final two videos show David returning to the burn site 18 days and one month following the burn. These videos were developed following a collaboration with NC State University’s Colin Kennan and Victoria Gerson.

Pre-Burn Footage: Burn Objectives

In this video, David Schnake discusses why the stand needs to be burned, and shows the pre-burn condition of the area.

Immediate Post-Burn Evaluation: Loblolly Pine Control

In this video, David Schnake assesses the success of the burn in controlling loblolly pine regeneration.

Immediate Post-Burn Evaluation: Comparing Results Across the Stand

In this video, David Schnake assesses differences in fire effects across the stand, and discusses reasons why some areas burned differently than others.

Immediate Post-Burn Evaluation: Oak and Other Hardwood Regeneration

In this video, David Schnake assesses oak regeneration following the burn. He also discusses regeneration of other, less desirable hardwood species like sweetgum, and next steps for continuing to monitor fire effects of the burn.

18-Days Post-Burn Evaluation: Groudcover Regeneration and Loblolly Control

In this video, David Schnake returns to Picture Creek 18 days after the burn. Grasses and sedges are already beginning to grow back. Loblolly pine seedlings are continuing to brown – a good sign that loblolly pine seedlings have been successfully controlled according to the burn objectives.

Five Weeks Post-Burn Evaluation: Vegetation Monitoring

In this video, David Schnake returns to Picture Creek just over a month after the burn. Some species have begun to regenerate following the burn, while others have not yet responded and may have been killed during the burn.