STUDENT REOURCES
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Patterns and Processes in Old-Growth Savannas
Presented by: Dr. Jen Fill
Synopsis: Old-growth savannas are open ecosystems maintained by processes such as fire and herbivory over long periods of time. Plant communities in old-growth savannas have unique attributes that distinguish them from forests and converted landscapes. Many species have developed special adaptations to fire that enable them to survive for hundreds or even thousands of years. We will explore the patterns and processes in old-growth savannas at the ecosystem, community, and species levels.
Presentation Slides: [LINK]
References:
Gomes, A. L., Revermann, R., Gonçalves, F. M., Lages, F., Aidar, M. P., Mostajo, G. A. S., & Finckh, M. (2021). Suffrutex grasslands in south-central Angola: belowground biomass, root structure, soil characteristics and vegetation dynamics of the ‘underground forests of Africa’. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 37(3), 136-146. [LINK]
Owen-Smith, N. (2021). How Large Herbivores Transform Savanna Ecosystems. In Only in Africa: The Ecology of Human Evolution (pp. 199–219). Chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [LINK]
Pausas, J. G., & Bond, W. J. (2020). Alternative biome states in terrestrial ecosystems. Trends in Plant Science, 25(3), 250-263. [LINK]
Ratnam, J., Bond, W. J., Fensham, R. J., Hoffmann, W. A., Archibald, S., Lehmann, C. E., ... & Sankaran, M. (2011). When is a ‘forest’ a savanna, and why does it matter?. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 20(5), 653-660. [LINK]
Veldman, J. W. (2016). Clarifying the confusion: old-growth savannahs and tropical ecosystem degradation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 371(1703), 20150306. [LINK]
Veldman, J. W., Buisson, E., Durigan, G., Fernandes, G. W., Le Stradic, S., Mahy, G., ... & Bond, W. J. (2015). Toward an old‐growth concept for grasslands, savannas, and woodlands. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13(3), 154-162. [LINK]
Veldman, J. W., & Putz, F. E. (2011). Grass-dominated vegetation, not species-diverse natural savanna, replaces degraded tropical forests on the southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Biological Conservation, 144(5), 1419-1429. [LINK]
Tree Population Dynamics in Fire-Prone Savannas
Presented by: Dr. Rae Crandall
Synopsis: Fire creates a demographic bottleneck that fundamentally shapes tree population dynamics in savannas. They kill seedlings while adults survive, resulting in population structures with a "missing middle." Only 2-3 trees recruit to adulthood from every 10,000 seeds, yet populations persist through extraordinary survival strategies and rare recruitment pulses. Discover how fire frequency controls population age structure, and why small changes in a fire regime can cause ecosystems to shift between savannas and woodlands.
Presentation Slides: [LINK]
References:
Bond, W. J., & Keeley, J. E. (2005). Fire as a global 'herbivore': The ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 20(7), 387-394. [LINK]
Fill, J.M., M. Muschamp, F. Tricone, R.M. Crandall, and R. Anderson. 2025. Large trees are most influential for long-term persistence of Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis) populations in lowland Belize savannas. Biotropica, 57, e70019. [LINK]
Gignoux, J., Clobert, J., & Menaut, J.-C. (1997). Alternative fire resistance strategies in savanna trees. Oecologia, 110(4), 576-583. [LINK]
Gilliam, F. S., & Platt, W. J. (1999). Effects of long-term fire exclusion on tree species composition and stand structure in an old-growth Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) forest. Plant Ecology, 140(1), 15-26. [LINK]
Higgins, S. I., Bond, W. J., & Trollope, W. S. W. (2000). Fire, resprouting and variability: A recipe for grass-tree coexistence in savanna. Journal of Ecology, 88(2), 213-229. [LINK]
Higgins, S. I., Bond, W. J., February, E. C., Bronn, A., Euston-Brown, D. I. W., Enslin, B., ... & Richardson, D. M. (2007). Effects of four decades of fire manipulation on woody vegetation structure in savanna. Ecology, 88(5), 1119-1125. [LINK]
Hoffmann, W. A. (1999). Fire and population dynamics of woody plants in a neotropical savanna: Matrix model projections. Ecology, 80(4), 1354-1369. [LINK]
Hoffmann, W. A., & Solbrig, O. T. (2003). The role of topkill in the differential response of savanna woody species to fire. Forest Ecology and Management, 180(1-3), 273-286. [LINK]
Lehmann, C. E., Prior, L. D., & Bowman, D. M. (2009). Fire controls population structure in four dominant tree species in a tropical savanna. Oecologia, 161(3), 505-515. [LINK]
Platt, W. J., Evans, G. W., & Rathbun, S. L. (1988). The population dynamics of a long-lived conifer (Pinus palustris). The American Naturalist, 131(4), 491-525. [LINK]
Robertson, K. M., Platt, W. J., & Faires, C. E. (2019). Patchy fires promote regeneration of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in pine savannas. Forests, 10(5), 367. [LINK]
Fire Management in Pine Ecosystems: The Florida Experience
Presented by: Dr. Rae Crandall
Synopsis: Fire management in the southeastern United States has evolved significantly over the past century, shifting from strict fire suppression policies to the widespread use of prescribed burning as a vital ecosystem management tool. This presentation shares our experience in managing fires in Florida's longleaf pine savannas, focusing on how frequent prescribed fires reduce fuel loads and prevent catastrophic wildfires, while maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity. While Philippine pine forests share striking ecological similarities with U.S. ecosystems, we recognize that institutional, cultural, and landscape contexts differ greatly. Our goal is to share our experiences and learn from fire managers about how fire has been traditionally used and managed in Philippine landscapes.
Presentation Slides: [LINK]
Resources:
Southern Fire Exchange [LINK]
Florida Forest Fire Laws & Open Burning Regulations [LINK]
References:
Addington, R. N., Hudson, S. J., Hiers, J. K., Hurteau, M. D., Hutcherson, T. F., Matusick, G., & Parker, J. M. (2015). Relationships among wildfire, prescribed fire, and drought in a fire-prone landscape in the south-eastern United States. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 24(6), 778-783. [LINK]
Ross, C. W., Loudermilk, E. L., Flanagan, S. A., Snitker, G., Hiers, J. K., & O’Brien, J. J. (2025). Wildfire Severity Reduction Through Prescribed Burning in the Southeastern United States. Sustainability, 17(13), 6230. [LINK]
Forest Measurement Field Exercise
Led by: Drs. Rae Crandall and Jen Fill
Synopsis: This field exercise provides students with hands-on training in forest mensuration and ecological field methods. Working in small teams, students will establish fixed-area plots in both a fire-maintained pine savanna and an unburned forest to collect data on tree diameter, stem density, and tree health using standard forestry equipment. Emphasis is placed on accurate measurement, systematic sampling, and detailed health assessments to evaluate structural and ecological differences between sites. Data collected in the field will be analyzed in a subsequent workshop using Excel and R to develop quantitative skills and support ecological interpretation.
Resources:
Instructions for field exercise [LINK]
Data sheets, also used for data entry [LINK]
Measuring DBH:
Measuring a fixed area plot - Dr. Patrick Colbert (YouTube)
Measuring DBH - UF | School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences (YouTube)
How do you measure tree diameter (DBH) - The Timberland Investor (YouTube)
Increment Borers:
What is an increment borer? - Dr. Lauren Stachowiak (YouTube)
Increment Borer Basics - UF | School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences (YouTube)
Haglöf Sweden Increment Borer - Using an Increment Borer Starter (YouTube)