Researchers looked at extreme fire conditions during drought in humid subtropical and semi-arid ecoregions that require innovative management strategies that go beyond the traditional restoration and conservation practices. These practices have either been historically ineffective or economically cost-prohibitive at restoring grass-dominated ecosystems following conversion to resprouting shrublands.
The purpose of the study was to assess the potential for extreme fire during drought to force the system along an alternate ecological trajectory towards close-canopy reprouting.
High-Intensity fires were first tested. In both ecoregions, there were significant levels of mortality observed for mature woody resprouters. The densities of these were either maintained or reduced 3 years following the extreme fire treatments. In areas that did not burn, resprouter densities continued to increase.
The second approach involved extreme fire along with herbicide treatment combinations. Interactions between the prescribed fire and herbicide did not significantly reduce resprouter densities more than using herbicide alone at either site.
Extreme fires during drought resulted in exceptionally high levels of mortality across all sizes of woody resprouters, resulting in 35–55% lower densities of resprouters than in areas not burned.
For more information on this study, be sure to click the link – Extreme Prescribed Fire During Drought Reduces Survival and density of Woody Resprouters.