Friday, June 3, 2016

Prescribed fire for Invasive Species

Fire is good for restoring pastures impacted by invasive species and it avoids the costs and chemical toxins of herbicide. It is most functional with plants that are incapable of resprouting after the top is removed or dies. Coinciding prescribed burns with the systems natural fire interval is a positive strategy. It is also an important component to plan the prescribed fire during the appropriate season, considering the vegetation to be burned, temperatures, and moisture content of the vegetation. One also has to consider what part of the life form of the plant will be impacted by the fire.



On example is the use of fire to burn piles of dried Russian thistle to impact and kill the seed. Fire is also beneficial against broadleaf invasive like yellow star thistle, barbed goat grass, and brome grasses. A bulb or corm plant’s life form is under the ground so it is protected by fire as is a rhizomatous plant depending on the percentage of litter and the smoldering combustion. Phragmites is a common wetland invasive species that fire can also be used on but it must be done when you can get the plant to burn when it is drying. It too is rhizomatous and if the burning occurs when the lower stalk is still green the rhizomes will most likely live.











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