Effects Of Fire Management Research Articles

Using a demographic model to project the long‐term effects of fire management on tree biomass in Australian savannas

AbstractTropical savannas are characterized by high primary productivity and high fire frequency, such that much of the carbon captured by vegetation is rapidly returned to the atmosphere. Hence, there have been suggestions that management‐driven reductions in savanna fire frequency and/or severity could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in tree biomass. However, a key knowledge gap is the extent to which savanna tree biomass will respond to modest shifts in fire regimes due to plausible, large‐scale management interventions. Here, we: (1) characterize relationships between the frequency and severity of fires and key demographic rates of savanna trees, based on long‐term observations in vegetation monitoring plots across northern Australia; (2) use these relationships to develop a process‐explicit demographic model describing the effects of fire on savanna tree populations; and (3) use the demographic model to address the question: to what extent is it feasible, through the strategic application of prescribed burning, to increase tree biomass in Australian tropical savannas? Our long‐term tree monitoring dataset included observations of 12,344 tagged trees in 236 plots, monitored for between 3 and 24 years. Analysis of this dataset showed that frequent high‐severity fires significantly reduced savanna tree recruitment, survival, and growth. Our demographic model suggested that: (1) despite the negative effects of frequent high‐severity fires on demographic rates, savanna tree biomass appears to be suppressed by only a relatively small amount by contemporary fire regimes, characterized by a mix of low‐ to high‐severity fires; and (2) plausible, management‐driven reductions in the frequency of high‐severity fires are likely to lead to increases in tree biomass of about 11.0 t DM ha−1 (95% CI: −1.2–20.8) over a century. Accounting for this increase in carbon storage could generate significant carbon credits, worth, on average, three times those generated annually by current greenhouse gas (methane and nitrous oxide) abatement projects, and has the potential to significantly increase the economic viability of fire/carbon projects, thereby promoting ecologically sustainable management of tropical savannas in Australia and elsewhere. This growing industry has the potential to bring much‐needed economic activity to savanna landscapes, without compromising important natural and cultural values.

Fire management: A virtual treatment towards psychological preparedness among health college volunteers in Indonesia

Background: Fire disasters in educational facilities often occur and lead to a lack of psychological readiness of volunteers in health colleges and in general. Objective: The study aimed to analyze the effects of fire management: A virtual short film on the psychological preparedness of university volunteers in Indonesia. Methods: This study uses quasi-experimental. The sampling technique used purposive sampling with a sample of 87 respondents who were divided into treatment and control groups. Health college volunteers were recruited from Java, Bali, and Sumatera islands. The psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS) questionnaire was used. The statistical test used is the paired t-test and the Independent Sample T-test. Results: We found a difference in volunteers’ psychological preparedness pre-treatment and post-treatment in the treatment group (p < 0.001) and control group (p = 0.800). Differences in both groups were significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Treatments using technology media, namely short films, can virtually influence increasing psychological preparedness for volunteers. In addition, this intervention can be used as media for health promotion that is easily accessible to everyone in the face of disasters.

Burn Severity in Canada's Mountain National Parks: Patterns, Drivers, and Predictions

AbstractFine‐scale estimation of burn severity in the Canadian Rocky Mountain region with mixed‐severity fires is of substantial implications but still lacking. We investigated satellite‐derived burn severity from 1985 to 2015 at 30‐m resolution in three mountain national parks in Canada: Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks. Results show that fuel type had the most significant influence on burn severity, whereas the three groups of continuous variables (topography, vegetation, and climate) contributed equally to the model, indicating the complex mechanism of environmental controls on fire behavior in this heterogeneous mountain region. The predicted burn severity potentials of the whole parks in 2002 and 2012 showed overall consistent spatial patterns, and lightning‐caused fires produced more high‐severity burn areas than prescribed fires. Generally, local communities in the intensive fire management zone were predicted to have relatively low burn severity, reflecting the fire management effectiveness.

Using the Landsat Burned Area Products to Derive Fire History Relevant for Fire Management and Conservation in the State of Florida, Southeastern USA

Development of comprehensive spatially explicit fire occurrence data remains one of the most critical needs for fire managers globally, and especially for conservation across the southeastern United States. Not only are many endangered species and ecosystems in that region reliant on frequent fire, but fire risk analysis, prescribed fire planning, and fire behavior modeling are sensitive to fire history due to the long growing season and high vegetation productivity. Spatial data that map burned areas over time provide critical information for evaluating management successes. However, existing fire data have undocumented shortcomings that limit their use when detailing the effectiveness of fire management at state and regional scales. Here, we assessed information in existing fire datasets for Florida and the Landsat Burned Area products based on input from the fire management community. We considered the potential of different datasets to track the spatial extents of fires and derive fire history metrics (e.g., time since last burn, fire frequency, and seasonality). We found that burned areas generated by applying a 90% threshold to the Landsat burn probability product matched patterns recorded and observed by fire managers at three pilot areas. We then created fire history metrics for the entire state from the modified Landsat Burned Area product. Finally, to show their potential application for conservation management, we compared fire history metrics across ownerships for natural pinelands, where prescribed fire is frequently applied. Implications of this effort include increased awareness around conservation and fire management planning efforts and an extension of derivative products regionally or globally.

Investigating the effects of fire management on savanna biodiversity with grid‐based spatially explicit population simulations

Abstract The development of effective fire management for biodiversity conservation is a global challenge. The highly dynamic nature of fire, the difficulty in replicating ‘real‐world’ fire experiments and the need to understand population changes at large spatiotemporal scales make computer simulations particularly useful for identifying optimal fire management regimes for biodiversity conservation. We aimed to develop a flexible modelling approach with which to investigate how the spatiotemporal application of fire (i.e. management scenarios) influences savanna biodiversity. We used existing data from a landscape‐scale fire experiment to develop population simulations for the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula, grassland melomys Melomys burtoni and northern brown bandicoot Isoodon macrourus across the Kapalga area of Kakadu National Park in northern Australia. We simulated how populations were expected to change between 1995 and 2015 in response to the fire patterns observed at Kapalga over this period, and under a hypothetical management scenario of extensive prescribed burning. Our models predicted a substantial decline in all three species in response to the observed fire regime at Kapalga, suggesting that the fire patterns observed at Kapalga, with the associated mechanisms and interactions with other ecological processes, were not conducive with the persistence of native mammal populations. Our prescribed burning scenario had little effect on the predicted population trajectory of the common brushtail possum and grassland melomys, but markedly improved the population trajectory of the northern brown bandicoot. These inconsistencies highlight the need for a nuanced approach to fire management across northern Australian savannas, that is tailored to local conditions and management objectives. Synthesis and applications. The modelling approach outlined here provides a basis for identifying fire patterns that are beneficial for conserving biodiversity, thereby increasing our capacity to establish clear targets for prescribed fire management. Importantly, this approach is flexible and can be easily adapted to other taxa and fire‐prone ecosystems.

Evaluating fire management effectiveness with a burn probability model in Daxing’anling, China

Fire is an important disturbance agent in the boreal forests of China. The aggressive fire suppression policy of China since 1988 has resulted in a large financial investment in support of fire brigade capabilities and the maintenance of fire management infrastructure. We developed a spatially explicit burn probability (BP) model to evaluate the effectiveness of improved fire management in Daxing’anling, China. The BP model can emulate the burn probability of the forest landscape by simulating daily wildfire occurrences, spread, and suppression for simulated years. Two scenarios were used for fire simulations in this study. The base scenario used the infrastructure data and parameters of fire suppression capability from the 1968–1987 period, and the intensive scenario used the data and parameters from the 1988–2012 period. The simulated annual burned areas for 1968–2012 showed a fluctuating trend similar to the historical fire records. Compared with the base scenario, the burn probability decreased by 73.6% under the intensive scenario, which suggests that improved fire management could significantly reduce the burn probability. This study shows that the BP model can model the effects of fire management activities on the forest landscape level and evaluate the effectiveness of fire management strategies or management measures.

Thermo- and physicochemical properties of native and exotic forest species of Valparaíso, Chile, as essential information for fire risk management

Wildfires in the Valparaíso region (Chile) account for one of the main threats to local biodiversity, ecosystem services and infrastructure. This study focused on producing an initial record of thermo- and physicochemical properties of local forest species. For this purpose, leaf samples of species found in the Peñuelas Lake National Reserve, namely Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia dealbata, Quillaja saponaria and Cryptocarya alba, were collected and analysed. Higher and lower heating value, flash point, density and moisture content tests were performed for each sample. Overall results showed that lower heating values measured for both native and exotic species could indicate a high energy release source in wildfires. However, differences in the flash point between species indicated that C. alba and E. globulus had a lower ignition resistance than other species tested, possibly due to a lower flash point. In contrast, Q. saponaria and A. dealbata had the highest flash point for native and exotic species respectively. Finally, all presented data and procedures were aimed at establishing a foundation for a national database of critical forest species properties to be used in wildfire simulation tools. This database will enhance forest fire management effectiveness in Chile.

Fire management and aspects of the nesting biology of the Red-legged Seriema (Cariama cristata) in woodlands at Parque Nacional das Emas, central Cerrado

In the Brazilian Cerrado Biome, fire management within conservation units is usually restricted to burning grassland and woodland strips during the dry season to stop fires from spreading. Although it is a common practice, the impact of fire management on birds remains poorly investigated. This study aimed to examine the effects of fire management on nest-site selection by the Red-legged Seriema, Cariama cristata, and to describe nest-building characteristics at Parque Nacional das Emas (PNE). Nests were searched and monitored throughout 34 study sites between October and November 2006. These sites were 2.5-km strips of Campo Cerrado woodlands with (firebreaks) and without fire management, located at the interior and boundaries of the park. A total of 13 nests were found, all within firebreaks at the edge of the park. Nine (69%) of them were in fruiting Pouteria torta (Mart.) (Sapotaceae). Two or three white eggs were found in the nests. Nests had eggs and nestlings in October and no nestlings were found in November. Nests were usually in tree canopies and some of them were built nearly over the park’s fence. At PNE, breeding pairs of C. cristata are attracted to firebreaks located at the park’s boundaries. This is probably due to mobility through often burnt vegetation and ease in obtaining food from adjacent unsealed roads, exotic plantations and cleared areas. This study suggests that fire managers should: 1) avoid extinguishing natural fires initiated during the rainy season and 2) rotate controlled burning of patchy areas of Campo Cerrado woodlands. These two procedures should ensure the presence of suitable woodlands with short grasses in interior portions of PNE.

Adapting prescribed burns to future climate change in Mediterranean landscapes

Fire regimes are shifting or are expected to do so under global change. Current fire suppression is not able to control all wildfires, and its capability to do so might be compromised under harsher climate conditions. Alternative fire management strategies may allow to counteract predicted fire trends, but we lack quantitative tools to evaluate their potential effectiveness at the landscape scale. Here, we sought to quantify changes in fire regimes induced after the implementation of different fire management strategies. We developed and applied a new version of the model MEDFIRE in Catalonia (Mediterranean region of ~32,000 km2 in NE Spain). We first projected burnt area from 2016 to 2100 resulting from climate change under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario of HadGEM-CC model and under current fire suppression levels. We then evaluated the impacts of four fire management strategies: ‘Let it burn’, fixed effort of prescribed burning with two different spatial allocations, and adaptive prescribed burning dynamically adjusting efforts according to recent past fires. Results predicted the emergence of novel climates associated with similar barometric configurations to current conditions but with higher temperatures (i.e. hot wind events). These novel climates led to an increase in burnt area, which was partially counteracted by negative fire-vegetation feedbacks. All prescribed burning scenarios decreased the amount of high-intensity fires and extreme fire events. The ‘Let it burn’ strategy, although less costly, was not able to reduce the extent of high-intensity fires. The adaptive prescribed burning scenario resulted in the most cost-efficient strategy. Our results provide quantitative evidence of fire management effectiveness, and bring to light key insights that could guide the design of fire policies fit for future novel climate conditions. We propose adaptive landscape management focused on the reduction of fire negative impacts rather than on the elimination of this disturbance from the system.

Facultative and Obligate Trees in a Mesic Savanna: Fire Effects on Savanna Structure Imply Contrasting Strategies of Eco-Taxonomic Groups.

Fire is a major determinant of savanna tree communities and, as such, manipulation of fire frequency is an important management tool. Resolving the effects of fire management on tree size class distributions can help managers predict and plan for short-term ecological and economic outcomes, reveal different strategies by which woody plants cope with frequent fire, and help us predict vegetation changes under future fire scenarios. Savanna structure and size class distribution are strongly influenced by the ability of suppressed tree resprouts to escape stem death by frequent fire. A widespread assumption is that resprouts have an imperative to escape fire to reach sexual maturity in the canopy and thereby ensure long-term species viability. We use a census of Australian mesic savanna tree communities subjected to annual, triennial, and fire exclusion (unburnt) fire treatments to ask how fire frequency affects size class distributions within and between eco-taxonomic groups of species. Total tree densities did not significantly differ, but were highest in the triennial (7,610 ± se 1,162 trees ha−1) and unburnt fire treatments (7,051 ± se 578 trees ha−1) and lowest in the annual fire treatment (6,168 ± se 523 trees ha−1). This was caused by increased sapling densities in the triennial and unburnt fire treatments, predominantly of Acacia and pantropical genera. Eucalypts (Eucalyptus and Corymbia spp.) dominated the canopy across all fire treatments indicating relatively greater success in recruiting to larger sizes than other species groups. However, in the sub-canopy size classes eucalypts co-dominated with, and in some size classes were outnumbered by, pantropicals and Acacia, regardless of fire treatment. We hypothesize that such results are caused by fundamental differences in woody plant strategies, in particular sexual reproduction, that have not been widely recognized in Australian savannas.

Activity of an endangered bat increases immediately following prescribed fire

ABSTRACTSpatiotemporal responses of bats to fire are not well understood. Fire can indirectly influence bat activity through changes to understory vegetation, insect prey availability, and roost tree abundance. High‐flying bats may be less influenced by fire‐induced changes to the understory because they forage above the forest canopy. Fire‐dependent forests are prevalent across the range of the endemic Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus), a large, high‐flying, and critically endangered species, yet effects of fire management on this species are completely unknown. To investigate short‐term responses of these bats to fire, we conducted pre‐post‐treatment‐control experiments in 4 prescribed burns during 2 seasons (dry, wet). For 12 nights pre‐burn and 24 nights post‐burn, we surveyed bat activity acoustically at 3 sites within each burn (treatment) and 3 adjacent sites (control). Using mixed‐effects models to test the effect of treatment on bat activity, we found that bat activity significantly increased post‐burn in treatment sites relative to control sites, with more pronounced effects during dry season burns. We also detected significantly more feeding buzzes (foraging activity) in treatment sites than control sites, and a negative trend over time in the burn effect size post‐burn. We suggest that bats are attracted to increased availability of insect prey immediately following burns, particularly during the dry season when prey may be limited. Our results suggest that burns have short‐term positive effects on Florida bonneted bats and that restoring fire to fire‐dependent forests may improve foraging habitat for this species. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Effects of fire management on northern bobwhite brood ecology

Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus chicks require ample invertebrates for growth and feather development. Early successional or resprouting vegetation provides invertebrates for chicks but may not provide other resources such as roosting and loafing cover that is typically provided by later successional stages. Thus, management for bobwhites provides multiple seral stages in close proximity but the effects of landscape interspersion have not been tested for bobwhite broods. During a 2-year study, we explored the effects of landscape complementation and food availability on growth and survival of bobwhite chicks. We found growth of chicks to be negatively related to home range size which was negatively correlated to the amount of area burned. We also found survival of chicks to be positively related to the amount of burned area (i.e., foraging area) within brood home ranges. To maximize the growth and survival of bobwhite chicks, it would be necessary to increase access to foraging areas while decreasing the size of brood home ranges. Access to foraging areas can be created through frequent prescribed fire at small spatial scales.

Measurement of inter- and intra-annual variability of landscape fire activity at a continental scale: the Australian case

Climate dynamics at diurnal, seasonal and inter-annual scales shape global fire activity, although difficulties of assembling reliable fire and meteorological data with sufficient spatio-temporal resolution have frustrated quantification of this variability. Using Australia as a case study, we combine data from 4760 meteorological stations with 12 years of satellite-derived active fire detections to determine day and night time fire activity, fire season start and end dates, and inter-annual variability, across 61 objectively defined climate regions in three climate zones (monsoon tropics, arid and temperate). We show that geographic patterns of landscape burning (onset and duration) are related to fire weather, resulting in a latitudinal gradient from the monsoon tropics in winter, through the arid zone in all seasons except winter, and then to the temperate zone in summer and autumn. Peak fire activity precedes maximum lightning activity by several months in all regions, signalling the importance of human ignitions in shaping fire seasons. We determined median daily McArthur forest fire danger index (FFDI50) for days and nights when fires were detected: FFDI50 varied substantially between climate zones, reflecting effects of fire management in the temperate zone, fuel limitation in the arid zone and abundance of flammable grasses in the monsoon tropical zone. We found correlations between the proportion of days when FFDI exceeds FFDI50 and the Southern Oscillation index across the arid zone during spring and summer, and Indian Ocean dipole mode index across south-eastern Australia during summer. Our study demonstrates that Australia has a long fire weather season with high inter-annual variability relative to all other continents, making it difficult to detect long term trends. It also provides a way of establishing robust baselines to track changes to fire seasons, and supports a previous conceptual model highlighting multi-temporal scale effects of climate in shaping continental-scale pyrogeography.

Prescribed fire alters surface activity and movement behavior of a terrestrial salamander

AbstractPrescribed fire has become a commonly used forest management tool for reducing the occurrence of severe wildfires, decreasing fuel loads and reestablishing the historic ecological influences of fire. Investigating population‐level wildlife responses to prescribed fire is important for evaluating the effects of fire management on animals, but in order to predict and simulate wildlife responses to potential management actions, mechanistic studies that elucidate individual‐level responses are also necessary. We used radio‐frequency identification to investigate individual‐level responses of western slimy salamanders Plethodon albagula to prescribed fire. We compared the salamander home‐range sizes [minimum convex polygons (MCP)], movement behaviors, and activity levels before and after prescribed fire using a randomized block experiment. We initiated the study at three plots in 2011, and added two new plots in 2012. We captured, tagged and released ≥38 salamanders at each plot from May 2011–May 2012 (total N = 205). We recorded 918 total recaptures of 142 unique salamanders; 31% of tagged salamanders were never recaptured. Across all years and treatments, only 14% of relocations were surface‐active (i.e. visually confirmed) salamanders; the others were underground. Following prescribed fire, the surface‐active proportion of recaptures was nearly seven times greater in control versus burned areas, which indicates that P. albagula respond to post‐prescribed fire conditions by spending more time belowground. We did not find evidence of direct mortality of salamanders from fires; the proportion of known‐alive individuals did not differ between treatments. Maximum daily displacement was 43.3% higher among burn‐area than control‐area salamanders, and MCP varied in a similar pattern; this may indicate salamanders were attempting to find more hospitable microenvironments or other resources, such as prey. Together, these individual‐level observations corroborate our findings from a population‐level study of a congeneric terrestrial salamander and contribute to our understanding of the behavioral mechanisms underlying population dynamics.

Wildfires: Systemic changes required

In their Policy Forum “Reform forest fire management” (18 September, p. [1280][1]), M. P. North et al. highlight public support and improved spatial planning as key leverage points to deemphasize fire exclusion and expand beneficial fire. Although these steps are necessary, we caution that they are insufficient to overcome barriers to change. There needs to be a deeper, systems-level understanding of the fire management system. The behavior of fire managers is a direct and logical result of the structure of the system in which they operate, influenced by factors such as incentives, culture, and capacity. If managers are judged by fire exclusion, that will become the dominant paradigm. Managers within this system may operate at cross-purposes, as shown by the widely divergent fire management policies and objectives across jurisdictional boundaries ([ 1 ][2], [ 2 ][3]). The joint influences of complexity, conflict, and uncertainty lead to a risk-averse decision structure constrained by perceptions and pressures, and susceptible to suboptimal decision biases and solutions to problems. The emphasis on aggressive suppression over less tangible ecological benefits and hazard mitigation disconnects fire management objectives from underlying resource management objectives. Infusing risk management principles into fire management decisions would directly address these systemic issues. We propose that efforts targeting transformation focus on four areas: (i) Engage in multiparty risk communication and prioritization of investments based on who can most efficiently mitigate risks. (ii) Track how, why, and with what information decisions are made, and ensure that decision processes are relevant and responsive to organizational and stakeholder needs. (iii) Invest in research to improve knowledge of fire management effectiveness, and consistently integrate new information. (iv) Cultivate a workforce well versed in risk management and the means to integrate this knowledge into decision-making. Transforming fire management is not an inevitable consequence of enhanced support or planning alone; it requires meaningful organizational change in how and why fire response is determined. Adopting systems and risk analysis principles to better understand and improve fire management decisions is a critical step toward effecting comprehensive change. 1. [↵][4]1. D. Calkin, 2. M. P. Thompson, 3. A. A. Ager, 4. M. Finney , For. Pol. Econ. 13, 378 (2011). [OpenUrl][5][CrossRef][6][PubMed][7][Web of Science][8] 2. [↵][9]National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy ([www.forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy/index.shtml][10]). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aab2356 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DTrends%2Bin%2BEcology%2B%2526%2BEvolution%26rft.stitle%253DTrends%2Bin%2BEcology%2B%2526%2BEvolution%26rft.aulast%253DBond%26rft.auinit1%253DW.%2BJ.%26rft.volume%253D20%26rft.issue%253D7%26rft.spage%253D387%26rft.epage%253D394%26rft.atitle%253DFire%2Bas%2Ba%2Bglobal%2B%2527herbivore%2527%253A%2Bthe%2Becology%2Band%2Bevolution%2Bof%2Bflammable%2Becosystems.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.tree.2005.04.025%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F16701401%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.tree.2005.04.025&link_type=DOI [7]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=16701401&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F350%2F6263%2F920.2.atom [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000230504500010&link_type=ISI [9]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [10]: http://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy/index.shtml

Seaside sparrow reproductive success in relation to prescribed fire

AbstractIn North American tidal marshes, prescribed burning has been used to manage waterfowl, furbearers, invasive plants, and fuels, but its effects on non‐target species, such as marsh birds, are relatively unknown, particularly in the mid‐Atlantic region. To address this informational need, we studied seaside sparrows (Ammodramus maritimus) in Dorchester County, Maryland, where prescribed marsh burning has been conducted since at least the 1930s. We compared the effects of 4 fire treatments (<1 yr since burn, 1–2 yr since burn, 3–4 yr since burn, and ≥5 yr since burn) on seaside sparrow density and reproductive output, and examined the impact of fire treatment, nest‐site characteristics, and weather on nest survival from 2007 to 2009. We found that nest and territory densities were greatest on marshes <1 year post‐burn, indicating that burning did not displace seaside sparrows. Nest and territory densities also declined as time since burn increased, and were about 50% less on marshes that were ≥5 years post‐burn compared to marshes <1 year post‐burn. Egg density (the number of eggs produced per ha) was 50% greater on marshes burned <1 year ago than on marshes burned 3–4 years ago, but we found no difference in fledgling density, indicating that predation may have disproportionately affected recently‐burned marshes. Study year and percent cover of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) best explained nest survival, which was lowest in 2009, a year with high precipitation and tides. We recommend that prescribed burning continue to be used at 1–4 year intervals to maintain habitat quality for breeding seaside sparrows in the mid‐Atlantic, but suggest that the effects of fire management may be less influential than predicted impacts of global climate change. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Fire management and the nesting of Athene cunicularia (Aves, Strigidae) in grasslands in central Cerrado, Brazil

Fire management is a common practice in several reserves in the Cerrado, but its influences on bird reproduction remain unknown. In addition, the nesting biology of the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) has been studied in numerous environments, but not in tropical grasslands managed by fire. This study examined the effects of fire management on the nesting biology of A. cunicularia in Emas National Park, State of Goias, central Brazilian Cerrado. We compared the number of breeding pairs and their burrows in October and November 2009 at 15 study sites in grasslands managed by fire (firebreaks) and unmanaged grasslands adjacent to and distant from firebreaks. We visited active burrows two-four times and described the burrow entrances and sentinel sites and counted and observed adults and young. A total of 19 burrows were found at firebreaks. One and two burrows were found in grasslands adjacent to and distant from firebreaks, respectively. For all burrows found, one to three young reached the adult size, being able to fly and/or run in early November. The 22 burrows found were in the ground, associated or not with termite and ant nests. Most (86.4%) burrows had only one entrance. Only three burrows had two or three entrances. Structures used as sentinel perches by adults were mounds in front of the burrow entrances, termite nests, shrubs and trees. Most of these sentinel sites were shorter than 2 m high and located less than 10 m from the burrow entrance. At Emas National Park, firebreaks appear to provide more attractive conditions to the nesting of A. cunicularia than unmanaged grasslands, likely because of the short herbaceous stratum due to frequent burning of firebreaks. This study suggests that fire management provides suitable conditions for the successful reproduction of A. cunicularia in firebreaks at Emas National Park.

Does prescribed burning mean a threat to the rare satyrine butterfly Hipparchia fagi? Larval-habitat preferences give the answer

The ecological effects of fire management, especially regarding arthropods are poorly investigated. Burning in winter was assumed to pose a threat to butterfly species hibernating as larvae. To assess the impact of prescribed burning on population viability, we analysed larval-habitat preferences of the highly endangered, xero-thermophilous butterfly Hipparchia fagi in vineyards of the Kaiserstuhl region (southern Germany). Microhabitat preference analyses for mature larvae and egg-laying females revealed a preference of H. fagi for Bromus erectus-dominated communities with sparse vegetation coverage and a distinct tuft growth of the host plant B. erectus on microclimatically benefited slopes. We explain the preference of B. erectus by a preference of vegetation structure. The grass tufts offer a suitable climatically buffered living space for larvae. Egg deposition took place on dry substrate at positions of high solar radiation, thus adapted to hot and dry microclimate. As the larval habitat was sparsely vegetated as well as generally legally protected, fire management was not applicable and therefore not affecting the populations. We think it is conceivable that H. fagi, occurring here at its northern range limit, might expand its larval habitat into denser, combustible B. erectus stands in the course of global warming. A change in habitat preferences would necessitate a re-evaluation of management options.

Status of the regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) and effects of fire management on its abundance in northeastern Kansas, USA

The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia), which once occupied prairies and meadows in North America from the upper Great Plains to the Atlantic coast, has disappeared in recent decades from nearly the entirety of the eastern half of its range and has declined westward. In the Great Plains, where the species is limited to native prairie remnants, several large populations are thought to exist, but patterns of occurrence and abundance in the region have not been described in detail. We surveyed prairies within a three county area of northeastern Kansas using distance-sampling along line transects and found Regal Fritillaries present at 70 of 87 sites. Population density varied considerably among sites but was generally much higher at those that had not been burned in the past year. Despite the loss of >99% of its original prairie landcover and the small sizes of remnants $$(\bar x = 7.1\,{\hbox{ha),}}$$ we estimate that our study area supports a globally significant population of ∼12,000 adult individuals. Given the rapidity of decline of Regal Fritillary populations elsewhere, this study establishes important population benchmarks and a practical protocol for future monitoring efforts.

The effect of fire season, fire frequency, rainfall and management on fire intensity in savanna vegetation in South Africa

Summary Fire is important for the maintenance and conservation of African savanna ecosystems. Despite the importance of fire intensity as a key element of the fire regime, it is seldom measured or included in fire records. We estimated fire intensity in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, by documenting fuel loads, fuel moisture contents, rates of fire spread and the heat yields of fuel in 956 experimental plot burns over 21 years. Individual fires were conducted in five different months (February, April, August, October and December) and at five different return intervals (1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 years). Estimated fire intensities ranged from 28 to 17 905 kW m−1. Fire season had a significant effect on fire intensity. Mean fire intensities were lowest in summer fires (1225 kW m−1), increased in autumn fires (1724 kW m−1) and highest in winter fires (2314 kW m−1); they were associated with a threefold difference between the mean moisture content of grass fuels in winter (28%) and summer (88%). Mean fuel loads increased with post‐fire age, from 2964 kg ha−1 on annually burnt plots to 3972 kg ha−1 on biennial, triennial and quadrennial burnt plots (which did not differ significantly), but decreased to 2881 kg ha−1 on sexennial burnt plots. Fuel loads also increased with increasing rainfall over the previous 2 years. Mean fire intensities showed no significant differences between annual burns and burns in the biennial, triennial and quadrennial categories, despite lower fuel loads in annual burns, suggesting that seasonal fuel moisture effects overrode those of fuel load. Mean fire intensity in sexennial burns was less than half that of other burns (638 vs. 1969 kW m−1). We used relationships between season of fire, fuel loads and fire intensity in conjunction with the park's fire records to reconstruct broad fire intensity regimes. Changes in management from regular prescribed burning to ‘natural’ fires over the past four decades have resulted in a decrease in moderate‐intensity fires and an increase in high‐intensity fires. The highest fire intensities measured in our study (11 000 – > 17 500 kW m−1) were significantly higher than those previously reported for African savannas, but were similar to those in South American cerrado vegetation. The mean fire intensity for late dry season (winter) fires in our study was less than half that reported for late dry season fires in savannas in northern Australia. Synthesis and applications. Fire intensity has important effects on savanna vegetation, especially on the dynamics of the tree layer. Fire intensity varies with season (because of differences in fuel moisture) as well as with fuel load. Managers of African savannas can manipulate fire intensity by choosing the season of fire, and further by burning in years with higher or lower fuel loads. The basic relationships described here can also be used to enhance fire records, with a view to building a long‐term data set for the ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of fire management.