Study area
We conducted research on the Kisatchie National Forest (KNF) and Peason
Ridge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in west central Louisiana. The KNF
was owned and managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and
divided into 5 Ranger Districts. We conducted research on the Catahoula
Ranger District, Kisatchie Ranger District, Winn Ranger District, and
the Vernon unit of the Calcasieu Ranger District located in Grant,
Natchitoches, Winn, and Vernon parishes, respectively. Peason Ridge WMA
was jointly owned by the USFS and the U.S. Army. The spatial area of
Catahoula Ranger District, Kisatchie Ranger District, Winn Ranger
District, Vernon unit, and Peason Ridge was approximately 49,169 ha,
41,453 ha, 67,408 ha, 61,202 ha, and 74,309 ha, respectively. Our study
sites were composed of pine-dominated forests encompassing rolling
hills, high ridges, and sandy creek bottoms. Vegetative communities
consisted of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda ), longleaf pine (P.
palustris ), short leaf pine (P. echinata ), slash pine (P.
elliotti ), mixed pine hardwood forests, and hardwood riparian areas.
Our sites contained forest openings, utility rights-of-way, and forest
roads distributed throughout. Rural infrastructure, agricultural fields,
pasture, and privately-owned lands used for industrial timber bordered
our study sites. Prescribed fire was applied on a 3–5 year return
interval. The study sites experienced subtropical climates with mean
daily temperatures ranging from a low of 9.4°C in January to a high of
28.3° C in July, and mean rainfall averaged ~ 114 cm.