Response of herpetofauna to patch burn grazing

There is little information as to how patch burn grazing impacts herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians, hereafter herps). This study was conducted near Nevada, Missouri, to determine how herps responded to fire, cattle grazing, and patch burn grazing. The author hypothesized that fire and cattle grazing would have a negative impact on herps (e.g., reduced species richness, increased patch extinction, greater mortality).

Patches of burn only, graze only, patch burn grazing, and control were established on the landscape for this experiment. Herpetofauna surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2012, before and after patch burn grazing. Additionally, vegetation in two habitat types (aquatic and riparian) and water quality were measured.

The study found that patch burn grazing may increase reptile species richness as this management approach creates a variety of habitat patches across a site. There was no response in the amphibian community to treatments. This study evaluated short term effects of fire and grazing, and continued monitoring would be needed to detect if there were long term positive or negative impacts of patch burn grazing on the reptile and amphibian community.

Management Implications

• Patch burn grazing increased heterogeneity of landscape, and was associated with increased reptile diversity
• Burn only treatments did not influence water quality
• Cattle had a negative impact on water quality, which could lead to negative impacts on amphibian eggs
• Adult amphibians returned to the same streams to breed despite patch-burn grazing

For further summary of  the study's results and implications for management, view or download a PDF version of the research brief: "Response of herpetofauna to patch burn grazing"

The original paper is:

Larson, Danelle, M. 2014. Grassland fire and cattle grazing regulate reptile and amphibian assembly among patches. Environmental Management 54:1434-1444.

Fifty years of prairie fire – a case study from Iowa

Small, isolated prairie remnants often show a decline in native species over time, and their sustainability is questioned. Given the rarity of tallgrass prairie in the upper Midwest, it is important to monitor changes over time to determine the long term impacts of land management.

This case study sought to document changes in the vegetation at Kalsow Prairie, one of the largest virgin prairies remaining in Iowa. Management at Kalsow, prior to 1950, was predominantly annual summer mowing, after 1950 management was gradually shifted to spring burning.

Implications for managers:

• Managing the same way over time (e.g., burning in the spring every 2 years) may not maximize biodiversity of the plant community due to the strong selection pressure.
• Larger isolated prairie sites may be less prone to establishment of non-native species when managed with fire
• Prescribed fire may stabilize prairie communities, and keep non-native species from establishing

For further summary of the study's results and implications for management, view or download a PDF version of the research brief: "Fifty years of prairie fire – a case study from Iowa."

The original paper is:

Reference:

Dornbush, Mathew E. 2004 Plant community changes following fifty-years of management at Kalsow Prairie Preserve, Iowa, U.S.A. American Midland Naturalist 151:241-250.

Evaluating sixteen years of restoration in prairie

Long-term studies can track changes over time, and provide examples of expected community trajectory under similar restoration activities. In this study, authors focused on tallgrass prairie remnant at the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor. 

After 16 years of research comparing prescribed fire treatments (annual fires and fires every three years), the authors did not observe changes in dominance or richness related to differences in fire frequency. 

For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can view or download a PDF version of "Evaluating sixteen years of restoration in prairie."

This research brief for research managers summarizes the following peer-reviewed publication:

Heslinga, Justin L., Robert E. Grese. 2010. Assessing plant community changes over sixteen years of restoration in a remnant Michigan tallgrass prairie. American Midland Naturalist 164:322-336.

MONITORING PHENOLOGY OF A THREATENED PLANT TO DETERMINE SEASONAL TIMING OF PRESCRIBED FIRE

At sites in Minnesota where the western prairie fringed orchid (WPFO) occurs managers face the challenge of timing burns to avoid damaging WPFO flowers while also controlling invasive smooth brome. This study used data collected by citizen scientists to track flowering of WPFO and development of smooth brome to determine the seasonal timing of prescribed fires.

Implications for managers:

• Data on timing of plant development can be used to plan management activities
• Fall prescribed fires may be effective at controlling smooth brome, and have less negative impact on western prairie fringe orchid
• Citizen scientists can collect meaningful data to inform management decisions

For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can view or download a PDF version of "Timing prescribed fire to meet multiple objectives - An exampe from Minnesota." 

This research brief for research managers summarizes the following peer-reviewed publication:

Lori A. Biederman, Judith Beckman, Jeanne Prekker, Derek Anderson, Nancy P. Sather, Rolf Dahle. 2014. Phenological monitoring aids habitat management of threatened plant. Natural Areas Journal 34:105-110.

Prairie Burn Management and Native Species Diversity

The varying effects of fire frequency on native prairies continues to be the subject of study and interest among restorationists and ecologists in the Upper Midwest. This study, in prairie remnants in the eastern tallgrass prairie region, took a close look at species composition changes over five decades.

Among several crucial findings, the authors cautioned against site monitoring protocols based on plant species diversity, which in this resurvey remained stable--despite the clear shift toward common species and away from conservative specialist species.

Management Implications

• Continue to burn remnants. A burn regime of 4-17 fires in 20 years had the greatest influence on keeping species composition similar to 1950.
• Put monitoring emphasis on rare species rather than species diversity, as diversity does not always indicate a decrease in rare species.
• Managers may not need to go to great effort to remove all woody species. The most stable prairies had less than 50% canopy cover.

For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can view or download a PDF version of "Prairie Burn Management and Native Species Diversity."

This research brief for research managers summarizes the following peer-reviewed publication:

Milbauer, M. L., and M. K. Leach. 2007. Influence of species pool, fire history, and woody canopy on plant species density and composition in tallgrass prairie. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 134: 53–62. 2007.

Response of tallgrass prairie to fire frequency

This brief summarizes results from a study that was focused on eastern tallgrass prairie sites and examines how fire frequency influences the plant community. To investigate how fire frequency affects eastern tallgrass prairie, sites surveyed in 1976 were revisited in 2001 (25 years later). Sites ranged from those rarely (or never) burned to some which had been burned almost annually.

For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can download a PDF version of the research brief here.

The original paper is:

Marlin L. Bowles and Michael D. Jones. 2013. Repeated burning of eastern tallgrass prairie increases richness and diversity, stabilizing successional vegetation. Ecological Applications 23:464-478.