Editing Table mountain pine (section)

== Fire ecology ==
Fire histories developed for two ''Pinus pungens'' communities in southwestern Virginia revealed that between 1758 and 1944, fires burned approximately every 5 to 10 years during the dormant season.<ref name=":110"/><ref name=":45">Sutherland, Elaine & Grissino-Mayer, H & Woodhouse, C & Covington, William & Horn, S & Huckaby, Laurie & Kerr, R & Kush, John & Moorte, M & Plumb, T. (1995). Two centuries of fire in a southwestern Virginia Pinus pungens community.</ref> Lack of ''Pinus pungens'' and increasing dominance of trees belonging to the [[Fagaceae]] (Oaks & Beeches) appear to coincide with fire exclusion practices initiated after 1950 resulting in a lack of regeneration.<ref name=":110"/><ref name=":45"/>

=== Fire adaptations ===
''Pinus pungens'' has adaptations to fire that are consistent with both long- and short-return-interval fire regimes.<ref name=":110"/><ref name=":45"/> Medium-thick to thick bark, a large rooting habit, self sufficient self-pruning limbs, and pitch/sap production to seal wounds are characteristics of ''Pinus pungens'' that suggest it is adapted to survive frequent, low-severity fire up to medium intensity fire.<ref name=":110"/><ref name=":45"/> One major adaptation of ''Pinus pungens'' to fire are the long dormant [[Serotiny|serotinous]] cones that open and spread seeds after high heat exposure.<ref name=":34"/><ref name=":45"/><ref name=":110"/>

=== Fire regime ===
''Pinus pungens'' was historically subject to a full range of fire frequencies and types: frequent low-severity surface fires, mixed-severity fires, and stand-replacement fires.<ref name=":110"/><ref>Barden, Lawrence S. 1979. Serotiny and seed viability of Pinus pungens in the southern Appalachians. Castanea. 44(1): 44-47</ref>  Fire occurs infrequently on contemporary Appalachian landscapes where ''Pinus pungens'' is common.<ref>Lafon, Charles W.; Kutac, Martin J. 2003. Effects of ice storms, southern pine beetle infestation, and fire on Table Mountain pine forests of southwestern Virginia. Physical Geography. 24(6): 502-519.</ref>

Current age structure of ''Pinus pungens'' suggest fire is an important influence on stand structure and regeneration as it regulates and clears the land periodically.<ref>Zobel, Donald B. 1969. Factors affecting the distribution of Pinus pungens, an Appalachian endemic. Ecological Monographs.</ref><ref name=":110"/> This can be seen in areas of the [[Chattahoochee National Forest]], Georgia where large Table Mountain pines have not regenerated due to lack of needed conditions to rejuvenate both the soil and trees.<ref name=":110"/><ref>Turrill, Nicole L.; Buckner, Edward R.; Waldrop, Thomas A. 1997. Pinus pungens Lam. (Table Mountain pine): a threatened species without fire? In: Greenlee, Jason M., ed. Proceedings, 1st conference on fire effects on rare and endangered species and habitats; 1995 November 13-16; Coeur d'Alene, ID. Fairfield, WA: International Association of Wildland Fire:</ref> Large gaps in year tree classes are the result of fire suppression.<ref name=":110"/><ref>Williams, Charles E.; Johnson, W. Carter. 1990. Age structure and the maintenance of Pinus pungens in pine-oak forests of southwestern Virginia. The American Midland Naturalist.</ref>