Using Fire as an Invasive Killer

 Fire can effectively control invasive species if the invasive species lack fire adaptations or do well in undisturbed areas. Fire can remove unwanted invasive species and enable the establishment of natives with fire adaptations. Conditions where fire can be used are when there is an invasive species that is intolerant to fire in an area that is adapted to fire. In these areas fire is apart of the natural process and can reduce invasive species while promoting natural successional processes in the ecosystem. Also areas with high resilience can re-establish after fire and beat the invasive species to establishing in the area and out-compete the invasive species for space and resources.    

According to the forestry service website Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale) is an invasive plant species that can be introduced into areas that lack fire disturbance. In order to prevent disturbance, fire should be a maintained part of the selection processes. The website also states that post-fire conditions can create ideal habitat for the invasive species as well, which thrives in the current fire regime. They mentioned that the historic fire regime might be a better repellent of this invasive species. So it’s possible that restoring a historic fire regime can remove invasive species from an area. Houndstongue has a very wide distribution and across many different ecosystems such as chaparral, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and many more (for the full list check out the url at the bottom of this page). The species spreads through barbed seeds dispersed by animals and can travel well using this method. The plant also has low growing points and can survive a low intensity fire due to the nutrients in its taproots. I think the best fire management approach is going to be prevention. The best way to protect areas is to monitor them and keep native diversity high with prescribed burning when necessary.

(Houndstongue, retrived from: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/cynoff/all.html)

Source: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/cynoff/all.html