Some Effects of Fire on Vegetation and Wildlife in Ponderosa Pine Forests of the Southern Black Hills

Abstract

This progress report summarized our findings in three years of research at Wind Cave National Park. Effects of prescription burns upon vegetation, birds, rodents, and bison were studied for three years in ponderosa pine forest and pine-grassland ecotone of Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. We established study plots and analyzed vegetation in summer 1979, prior to fall 1979 and spring 1980 burning. Vegetation and wildlife populations were studied in 1980 and 1981, through two post-fire growing seasons.