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.