Long-term effects of burning Festuca and Stipa-Agropyron grasslands

Abstract

The effects of early spring burning on current year standing crop, litter, and total standing crop (current year standing crop plus litter) were examined in Festuca-and Stipa-Agropyron-dominated communities in central Saskatchewan over an 11-year period in a paired design with burned sites compared to adjacent control sites that were not burned. In Festuca communities current year standing crop was reduced in the first and third years (P = 0.010) after burning. Burning Stipa-Agropyron-communities tended to reduce current year standing crop, but the differences were not significant (P < 0.050) compared to control. Increasing precipitation stimulated current year standing crop after burning Festuca (P < 0.001, r2 = 0.33) and Stipa-Agropyron (P < 0.001, r2 = 0.55) communities. Litter and current year standing crop were correlated (R2 = 0.24, P = 0.002) for Festuca indicating beneficial and detrimental effects of litter on production at low and high amounts, respectively. Litter and current year standing crop were not correlated (P = 0.964) for Stipa-Agropyron. In both communities total standing crop increased until about the eighth year after burning while the mass of litter appeared to reach a plateau around 11 years. Litter alters the microenvironment of grasslands and affects productivity (Willms 1988, Facelli andPickett 1991). Whereas excessive litter reduces productivity in Tallgrass Prairie (Vogl 1974, Boemer 1982, litter has positive effects on herbage production apparently by reducing evaporation and making more Manuscript accepted 11 Mar. 03. ResumenSe examinaron los efectos de la quema a inicios de primavera sobre la cosecha en pie actual, mantillo y cosecha en pie total (cosecha en pie del ano actual + mantillo) de comunidades de Festuca y comunidades dominadas por Stipa-Agropyron situadas en la region central de Saskatchewan. El estudio se llevo a cabo en un periodo de 11 anos en un diseno apareado con sitios quemados adyacentes a sitios control que no fueron quemados. En las comunidades de Festuca la cosecha en pie actual se redujo en el primer y tercer anos (P = 0.010) despues de la quema. La quema de comunidades de Stipa-Agropyron tendio a reducir la cosecha en pie del ano actual, pero las diferencias no fueron significativas (P < 0.050) en comparacion con el control. El aumento en la precipitacion estimulo la cosecha en pie del presente ano despues de la quema en las comunidades de Festuca (P < 0.001, r2 = 0.33) y Stipa-Agropyron (P < 0.001, r2=0.55). El mantillo y la cosecha en pie actual estuvieron correlacionadas (R2 = 0.24, P = 0.002) en la comunidad de Festuca, indicando efectos beneficos y detrimentales del mantillo en la production en cantidades bajas y altas respectivamente. El mantillo y la cosecha en pie actual no estuvieron correlacionadas (P = 0.964) en la comunidad de StipaAgropyron. En ambas comunidades la cosecha en pie total se incremento hasta aproximadamente el octavo ano despues de la quema mientras que la masa de mantillo parecio alcanzar su maximo nivel alrededor de los ...

Temporal changes in species composition in Fescue Prairie: relationships with burning history, time of burning, and environmental conditions

“…Species diversity and richness increase, decrease, or are unaffected by burning (Bailey and Anderson 1978;Anderson and Bailey 1980;Grilz and Romo 1995;Bork et al 2002). Burning reduces plant production up to 3 years in Fescue Prairie with faster recovery of production in wet than in dry years Sinton Gerling et al 1995;Bork et al 2002;Pylypec and Romo 2003). The mass of litter recovers to unburned amounts about 11 years after burning while total standing crop returns to unburned amounts in about 8 years (Pylypec and Romo 2003).…”

“…Portions of Kernen Prairie were grazed or hayed periodically until 1967 (Pylypec 1986). Several studies on the effects of burning have been conducted at Kernen Prairie since 1986 (see Pylypec 1991;Redmann 1991;Redmann et al 1993;Romo et al 1993;Romo 1994, 1995;Archibold et al 1998Archibold et al , 2003Pylypec and Romo 2003).…”

“…Burning reduces plant production up to 3 years in Fescue Prairie with faster recovery of production in wet than in dry years Sinton Gerling et al 1995;Bork et al 2002;Pylypec and Romo 2003). The mass of litter recovers to unburned amounts about 11 years after burning while total standing crop returns to unburned amounts in about 8 years (Pylypec and Romo 2003). Although it is generally recognized that weather has strong influences on plant communities on the Northern Great Plains (Clarke et al 1943;Coupland 1958Coupland , 1961Smoliak 1986), quantitative analyses of environmental conditions and plant community composition after burning in Fescue Prairie remain undetermined.…”

Comparison of Transect-Based Standard and Adaptive Sampling Methods for Invasive Plant Species

“…Uplands at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield (LIBI) are part of the North American mixed grass prairie, an ecosystem in which fire has long been a regular and natural event (Risser et al 1981, Pylypec andRomo 2003). However, fire frequency has been episodic in this region historically and pre-historically, related to climatic cycles (Umbanhowar 1996, Brown et al 2005) and probably to fuel reductions caused by ungulate grazing (Briggs et al 2002).…”

Prescribed Burning Has Limited Long-Term Effectiveness in Controlling Trembling Aspen (<em>Populus tremuloides</em>) Encroachment into Fescue Grassland in Prince Albert National Park

“…Although prescribed burning is widely used to address encroachment and to restore grasslands by mimicking natural disturbance, effectiveness in suppressing Trembling Aspen varies with the treatments used and the site conditions (Pylypec and romo 2003;romo 2003).…”