Table 5: Maximum temperatures at 0 cm and 2 cm soil depth, and in open and vegetated microsites, during a prescribed fire in sand pine scrub at Archbold Biological Station, Florida. Temperatures were quantified with copper-constantan thermocouples and with temperature-sensitive paints placed on adjacent glass petri dishes.
DepthMicrositeMaximum Temperature
ThermocouplePaint(a)
0 cmopen621.7 163.7
0 cmopen436.2 107.2
0 cmopen383.5 289.8
0 cmopen367.8 < 37.8
0 cmvegetated308.1 260.0
0 cmvegetated 59.8 287.8
0 cmvegetated319.8 232.2
0 cmvegetated 56.9 162.8
2 cmopen 63.0 < 37.8
2 cmopen 90.4 < 37.8
2 cmopen 52.0 < 37.8
2 cmopen141.7 < 37.8
2 cmvegetated218.3 < 37.8
2 cmvegetated 63.0 < 37.8
2 cmvegetated 45.6 < 37.8
2 cmvegetated 43.6 < 37.8
( a ) Temperatures represent the manufacturer-specified melting temperatures of the paints that melted.