Restoration of Florida pine savanna:: Flowering response of Lilium catesbaei to fire and roller-chopping

The reduced frequency of fire in southeastern pine savannas over the past six decades has caused increases in woody species cover and decreases in herbaceous species cover. Although fire and restoration roller-chopping (chopping using techniques adapted for restoration) are established management techniques used to restore herbaceous cover to these savannas, little is known of the effects of roller-chopping on sparsely distributed herbaceous species. In an experimental field study we examined the response of Lilium catesbaei Walt. (pine lily), a species that is widespread in southeastern pine savannas but always a minor element of the flora, to fin and roller-chopping in savan-palmetto (Serenoa repens [Bartr.])-dominated Florida dry prairie (a type of pine savanna). The study included three treatments: burn-only, chop-only, and chop-and-burn. Marked subplots were monitored for numbers of flowering L. catesbaei plants during five separate years following treatments. Significant differences in flowering response were documented. Ln plots treated with fire only, flowering response of L. catesbaei was low. Plots treated with roller-chopping only produced significantly greater numbers of flowering plants. When both fire and roller-chopping were used in combination by applying fire three years after a roller-chopping treatment, the numbers of flowering lilies declined to levels not significantly different from those in burn-only plots. Restoration roller-chopping is well suited to sites with a history of fire-exclusion that have become dominated by saw-palmetto; it effectively reduced the cover of this highly fire-resistant woody species and also caused no declines in numbers of flowering L. catesbaei plants.