Fire Ecology Program
The mission of the Fire Ecology Program at Tall Timbers is to produce science-based knowledge regarding the ecology and conservation of fire-dependent ecosystems with an emphasis on the southeastern US Coastal Plain.
Research is conducted in collaboration with the other research programs at Tall Timbers, private land owners, universities, state and government agencies, and other notforprofit organizations. Information is shared through publications, conferences, seminars, and workshops, extension services to landowners, advisory committees, professional training courses, public outreach activities, mentoring of graduate students and interns, and guest lecturing at universities. Research is supported by institutional endowments, external grants, and private donations.
Selected Fire Ecology Program Publications
Cummins, K., J. Noble, J. M. Varner, K. M. Robertson, J. K. Hiers, H. K. Nowell and E. Simonson. 2023. The Southeastern US Prescribed Fire Permit Database: Hot spots and hot moments in prescribed fire across the southeastern USA. Fire 6:372.
Ulyshen, M., K. Robertson, S. Horn, and C. Dixon. 2023. Effects of season of fire on bee-flower interaction diversity in a fire-maintained pine savanna. Ecology and Evolution 13:e10450. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10450
Robertson, K.M., E. Simonson, N. Ramirez-Bullon, R. Carter, and B. Poulter. 2023. Effects of pixel resolution, mapping window size, and spectral species classification on remote sensing of plant beta diversity using biodivMapR and hyperspectral imagery. Journal of Geophysical Research Biosciences 128(7):e2022JG007350 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JG007350
Sánchez-López, N., A.T. Hudak, L. Boschetti, C.A. Silva, E.L. Loudermilk, K. Robertson, B.C. Bright, M.A. Callaham Jr., and M.K. Taylor. 2023. A spatially explicit model of tree leaf litter accumulation in fire maintained longleaf pine forests of the southeastern USA. Ecological Modelling 481:110369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2023.110369
Shuman, J., et al. 2022. Reimagine fire science in the Anthropocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nexus 1:pgac115. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac115
Margolis, E.Q., C.H. Guiterman et al. 2022. The North American tree-ring fire-scar network. Ecosphere 13(7):e4159.
Engstrom, T.R., J.K. Hiers, K.M. Robertson, J.M. Varner, J. Cox, J.J. O’Brien, and S. Pokswinski. 2022. Long-term recovery of selected indicator species following soil disturbance and compaction in an old-growth longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) woodland. Natural Areas Journal 42:89-97. https://doi.org/10.3375/21-23
Dixon, C. M., K. M. Robertson, M. D. Ulyshen and B. A. Sikes. 2021. Pine savanna restoration on agricultural landscapes: The path back to native savanna ecosystem services. Science of the Total Environment, 818:151715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151715
Picotte, J., C. A. Cansler, C. A. Kolden, J. A. Lutz, C. Key, N. C. Benson and K. M. Robertson. 2021. Determination of burn severity models ranging from regional to national scales for the conterminous United States. Remote Sensing of Environment 263:112569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112569
Robertson, K. M., S. M. Hermann and E. L. Staller. 2021. Frequent prescribed fire sustains old field loblolly pine–shortleaf pine woodland communities – results of a 53-year study. Journal of Forestry 119:549-556. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvab035
Laucevicius, A. M., K. M. Robertson, D. B. Means, T. R. Mitchell and P. B. Taylor. 2021. Expansion and population structure of transplanted Aristida beyrichiana (wiregrass) tussocks: results of a 37-year study. Restoration Ecology 29:e13404. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13404
Rother, M.T., J.M. Huffman, C.H. Guiterman, K.M. Robertson, and N. Jones. 2020. A history of recurrent, low-severity fire without exclusion in southeastern pine savannas, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 475:118406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118406
Hiers, J.K., J.J. O’Brien, J.M. Varner, B.W. Butler, M. Dickinson, J. Furman, M. Gallagher, D. Godwin, S.L. Goodrick, S.M. Hood, A. Hudak, L.N. Kobziar, R. Linn, E.L. Loudermilk, S. McCaffrey, K. Robertson, E.M. Rowell, N. Skowronski, A.C. Watts, and K.M. Yedinak. 2020. Prescribed fire science: the case for a refined research agenda. Fire Ecology 16:11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-020-0070-8
Robertson, K. M., W. J. Platt and C. E. Faires 2019. Patchy fires promote regeneration of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in pine savannas. Forests 10(5):367 https://doi:10.3390/f10050367
Mugnani, M. P., K. M. Robertson, D. L. Miller and W. J. Platt 2019. Longleaf pine patch dynamics influence ground-layer vegetation in old-growth pine savanna. Forests 10:389 doi:10.3390/f10050389
Shearman, T.M., J.M. Varner, K. Robertson, and J.K. Hiers. 2019. Allometry of Aristida beyrichiana and A. stricta in fire-maintained longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystems. American Journal of Botany 106:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1215
Hsieh, Y. P., G. C. Bugna and K. M. Robertson 2018. Thermochemical properties of PM2.5 as indicator of combustion phase of fires. Atmosphere 9:230 doi:10.3390/atmos9060230
Rother, M. T., J. M. Huffman, G. L. Harley, W. J. Platt, N. Jones, K. M. Robertson and S. L. Orzell 2018. Cambial phenology informs tree-ring analysis of fire seasonality in Coastal Plain pine savannas. Fire Ecology 14:164-185. https://doi.org/10.4996/fireecology.140116418
Nowell, H.K., C.D. Holmes, K. Robertson, C. Teske, and J.K. Hiers. 2018. A new picture of fire extent, variability, and drought interaction in prescribed fire landscapes: Insights from Florida government records. Geophysical Research Letters 45:7874-7884. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078679
Godwin, D.R., L.N. Kobziar, and K.M. Robertson. 2017. Effects of fire frequency and soil temperature on soil CO2 efflux rates in old-field pine-grassland forests. Forests 8:(8)274 https://doi:10.3390/f8080274
Hsieh, Y.P., G.C. Bugna and K.M. Robertson. 2016. Examination of two assumptions commonly used to determine PM2.5 emission factors for wildland fires. Atmospheric Environment 147:274-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.10.012
Hu, X.F., C. Yu, D. Tian, M. Ruminski, K. Robertson, L.A. Waller, and Y. Liu. 2016. Comparison of the hazard mapping system (HMS) fire product to ground-based fire records in Georgia, USA. Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres 121:2901-2910. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024448
Stewart, J.F., R.E. Will, K.M. Robertson, and C.D. Nelson. 2015. Frequent fire protects shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) from introgression by loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Conservation Genetics 16:491-495. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-014-0669-x
Bried, J., N.J. Gifford, and K.M. Robertson. 2015. Predicted crown fire risk adds incentive to restore open-canopy pine barrens at the wildland-urban interface. 2014. Journal of Sustainable Forestry 34:147-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/10549811.2014.973610
Robertson, K.M., H.M. Poulos, A. Camp, and M. Tyrell. 2015. Introduction: Fire ecology of the Northeast – Restoring native and cultural ecosystems. Journal of Sustainable Forestry 34:1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/10549811.2014.973611
Hmielowski, T.L., K.M. Robertson, and W.J. Platt. 2014. Influence of season and method of topkill on resprouting characteristics and biomass of Quercus nigra saplings from a southeastern U.S. pine-grassland ecosystem. Plant Ecology 215:1221-1231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-014-0380-5
Robertson, K.M., Y.P. Hsieh, and G.C. Bugna. 2014. Fire environment effects on particulate matter emission factors in southeastern U.S. pine-grasslands. Atmospheric Environment 99:104-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.09.058
Robertson, K.M. and T.L. Hmielowski. 2013. Effects of frequency and season of resprouting of woody plants in southeastern US pine-grassland communities. Oecologia 174:765-776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-013-2823-4
Tang, C.Q., Y.C. Yang, M. Ohsawa, A. Momohara, J. Mu, and K.M. Robertson. 2013. Survival of a Tertiary relict species: the Chinese tulip tree in southern China, with special reference to village Fengshui forests. American Journal of Botany 100:2112-2119. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1300057
Reid, A.M., K.M. Robertson, and T.L. Hmielowski. 2012. Predicting litter and live herb fuel consumption during prescribed fires in native and old-field upland pine communities of the southeastern United States. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 42:1611-1622. https://doi.org/10.1139/x2012-096
Reid, A.M. and K.M. Robertson. 2012. Energy content of common fuels in upland pine savannas of the south-eastern U.S. and their application to fire behavior modeling. International Journal of Wildland Fire 21:591-595. https://doi.org/10.1071/WF10139
Glitzenstein, J.S., D.R. Streng, R.E. Masters, K.M. Robertson, and S.M. Hermann. 2012. Fire-frequency effects on vegetation in north Florida pinelands: Another look at the long-term Stoddard Fire Research Plots at Tall Timbers Research Station. Forest Ecology and Management 264:197-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2011.10.014
Picotte, J.J. and K.M. Robertson. 2011. Timing constraints on remote sensing of wildland fire burned area in the southeastern U.S. Remote Sensing 3:1680-1690. https://doi:10.3390/rs3081680.
French, N.H.F., W. de Groot, L.K. Jenkins, E. Alvarado, B. Amiro, B. de Jong, S. Goetz, E. Hoy, E. Hyer, E.S. Kasischke, R. Keane, B.E. Law, D. McKenzie, S.G. McNulty, R. Ottmar, D.P. Salicrup, J. Randerson, K.M. Robertson, B.M. Rogers, M. Turetsky, and G. van der Werf. 2011. Estimating wildland fire emissions for carbon cycle science. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, G00K05. https://doi:10.1029/2010JG001469.
Picotte, J.J. and K.M. Robertson. 2011. Validation of remote sensing of burn severity in south-eastern U.S. ecosystems. International Journal of Wildland Fire 20:453-464. https://doi.org/10.1071/WF10013
Hsieh, Y.P., G. Bugna, and K.M. Robertson. 2010. Chemical signature of biomass burning emitted PM2.5 and the detection of its presence in the air by a rapid method. Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Proceedings 24:73-78. https://talltimbers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/73-Hsiehetal2010_op.pdf
Picotte, J.J. and K.M. Robertson. 2010. Accuracy of remote sensing wildland fire-burned area in southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain habitats. Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Proceedings 24:86-93. https://talltimbers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/91-PicotteandRobertson2010_op.pdf
Carr, S.M., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2009. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189. https://doi.org/10.2179/09-016.1
Carr, S.M., K.M. Robertson, W.J. Platt, and W. Peet. 2009. A model of geographic, environmental, and regional variation in vegetation composition of pyrogenic pinelands of Florida. Journal of Biogeography 36:1600-1612. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02085.x
Robertson, K.M. and T.E. Ostertag. 2009. Biomass equations for hardwood resprouts in fire-maintained pinelands in the southeastern U.S. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, 33:121-128. https://doi.org/10.1093/sjaf/33.3.121
Ostertag, T.E. and K.M. Robertson. 2007. A comparison of native versus old-field vegetation in upland pinelands managed with frequent fire, south Georgia, USA. Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Proceedings 23:109-120. https://talltimbers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/109-OstertagandRobertson2007.pdf
Robertson, K.M. and T.E. Ostertag. 2007. Effects of land use on fuel characteristics and fire behavior in pinelands of southwest Georgia. Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Proceedings 23:181-191.https://talltimbers.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/RobertsonandOstertag2007_op.pdf
Robertson, K.M. and T.E. Ostertag. 2004. Problems with Shurbon and Fauth’s test of effects of prescribed burning on amphibian diversity. Conservation Biology 18:1154-1155. https://doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.581_1.x
