RESEARCH

Current Research:

The American chestnut ( Castanea dentata ) was a dominant canopy species in Southern Appalachian forests that was removed from the canopy by the introduced chestnut blight ( Cryphonectria parasitica ). With the ability to sprout from root stocks, chestnuts persist in the understory through a cycle of re-sprouting and re-infection. However, chestnut persistence is not consistent over space and time, as agents of mortality vary spatially and temporally. Chestnut frequency previous to the blight pandemic does not predict current frequency of chestnut in the understory, demonstrating a change in chestnut's realized niche, its mortality, and its competition with other species. Southern Appalachian forests have been subjected to large-scale human disturbances for the past 150 years (at least) through intensive logging, grazing, and agriculture. The interaction of these disturbances with the widespread disturbance of chestnut blight resulting in alternate states of the community remains understudied. The interesting history and mortality of the chestnut make its former domain ideal for studies of changes in forest regeneration, tree competition, and tree mortality.

Dissertation Chapters:

(1) The Effects of Interacting Disturbances, Logging and Chestnut Blight Infection, on American Chestnut Presence and Abundance

(2) Ecological Niche Model of American Chestnut Before and After Chestnut Blight Introduction

(3) The Effects of Deer Browsing on Understory Regeneration in a Former Oak-Chestnut Forest

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

Burke, K.L. In prep. The Effect of Interacting Disturbances on American chestnut.

Reynolds, D.; Burke, K.L. In prep. Investigating radial growth rates of the American chestnut and their relationship to environment, longevity, and blight prevalence.

Burke, K.L.; Siegel, R. In prep. Indicator species of American chestnut ( Castanea dentata ) presence in southwestern Virginia eighty years following the introduction of the invasive pathogen chestnut blight ( Cryphonectria parasitica ).

Burke, Katie L. 2010. “ The Effects of Logging History and Chestnut Blight on American Chestnut Distribution.” (Presentation) Association of Southeastern Biologists Annual Conference. April 2010. Asheville , NC .

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “American Chestnut Persistence and Niche Change in Southwestern Virginia Eighty Years after Chestnut Blight Introduction.” (Presentation) TACF Virginia Chapter Meeting. October 2009. Weir's Cave, VA.

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “The American Chestnut.” (Presentation) Shenandoah Audobon Society Seminar Series. October 2009. Blandy Experimental Farm, VA.

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “An Introduction to the Ecological History of the American Chestnut.” (Presentation) Shenandoah National Park American Chestnut Seminar. August 2009. Skyland Conference Center , Shenandoah NP, VA.

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) Persistence in Southwestern Virginia Eighty Years after Chestnut Blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) Introduction.” (Presentation) Spruce Conference. May 2009. Slatyfork , WV .

Burke, K.L. 2007. History of the American Chestnut, Prehistory to Present. Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation. 11 (2): 46-54.

Burke, KL; Rozendaal, D; Gee, H; Sanford, G; Copenheaver, C. 2006. “ Dynamics of two forest stands at Cape Perpetua , Oregon .” North American Dendroecological Fieldweek. May 2006. Newport , OR .