Effects of prescribed fire on moist-soil vegetation and soil macronutrients

Abstract

Plant succession and various environmental conditions can decrease productivity of wetlands managed intensively for wildlife. Although prescribed fire frequently is used to alter plant composition and structure in semipermanent wetlands, the impacts of fire on species composition and production of seed in moist-soil impoundments have not been quantified. Therefore, I compared species composition, seed production, and soil macronutrient concentrations at the end of the growing season on unburned control sites (n=3) and sites burned in spring (n=3) and summer (n=3) in southeast Missouri. Sites burned in spring contained a greater (P≤0.05) percent cover of beggarticks (Bidens spp. [31.4±4.7%]) and ricecut grass (Leersia oryzoides [50.3±7.0%]) than control and summer-burned sites. The percent cover of marsh elder (Iva ciliata) was reduced (P 0.05) among control sites and sites burned in spring and summer. In general, burning in spring improved habitat and food conditions for waterfowl, whereas burning in summer reduced the prevalence of both desirable and undesirable vegetation and created habitat conditions that favored shorebirds.