MONITORING PHENOLOGY OF A THREATENED PLANT TO DETERMINE SEASONAL TIMING OF PRESCRIBED FIRE

At sites in Minnesota where the western prairie fringed orchid (WPFO) occurs managers face the challenge of timing burns to avoid damaging WPFO flowers while also controlling invasive smooth brome. This study used data collected by citizen scientists to track flowering of WPFO and development of smooth brome to determine the seasonal timing of prescribed fires.

Implications for managers:

• Data on timing of plant development can be used to plan management activities
• Fall prescribed fires may be effective at controlling smooth brome, and have less negative impact on western prairie fringe orchid
• Citizen scientists can collect meaningful data to inform management decisions

For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can view or download a PDF version of "Timing prescribed fire to meet multiple objectives - An exampe from Minnesota." 

This research brief for research managers summarizes the following peer-reviewed publication:

Lori A. Biederman, Judith Beckman, Jeanne Prekker, Derek Anderson, Nancy P. Sather, Rolf Dahle. 2014. Phenological monitoring aids habitat management of threatened plant. Natural Areas Journal 34:105-110.

Summer fire and agricultural pests

This recent study compared the abundance of larvae of agricultural pests in plant native grasslands in the Conservation Reserve Program. One site was burned in a wildfire in July of 2012 and the other unburned. Larval samples were collected from 1 month post-fire to 4 months post-fire. 

For a summary of the study's results and implications for management, you can download a PDF version of the research brief here.

The original paper is:

Evans, T. R., C.J.M. Musters, E.D. Cashatt, and G.R. de Snoo. 2013. Lepidoptera pest species response to mid-summer fire. Fire Ecology 9:25-32.