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Fire Effects Monitoring
Monitoring and evaluation of prescribed fires is an essential management activity. Without monitoring, managers cannot properly evaluate the effects of fire or fire suppression.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) fire management policies are outlined in FWS Manual 621, and are expanded in the FWS Prescribed Fire Management Handbook. These documents direct fire managers to monitor and evaluate prescribed fires. The FWS Prescribed Fire Management Handbook directs that pre and post burn monitoring are to be done to document the results of a burn. It also directs refuges to develop a plan for monitoring the long-term effects of burning.
In addition, there are provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 ISC 4321-4347). NEPA (enacted in 1969), that mandate monitoring and evaluation be conducted to mitigate human actions that alter landscapes or environments.
There are a variety of reasons for establishing a sound and consistent method to measure and evaluate information regarding fire effects, which include:
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to determine if management goals/objectives are being met.
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provide a basis for improving economic efficiency.
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validate fire behavior outputs.
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refine prescriptions.
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improve information sharing.
To this end, Sherburne NWR has adopted the protocols found in the National Park Service Fire Monitoring Handbook (FMH) for monitoring fire effects on the Refuge. For a detailed discussion of these protocols, please visit the National Park Service Fire Monitoring Program website at: http://www.nps.gov/fire/fire/fir_eco_mon_fmh.cfm
Three monitoring types (strata) have been defined for monitoring at Sherburne NWR. These are "Dry Oak Forest", "Oak Savanna/Oak Woodland-Brushland", and "Tallgrass Prairie Openings". Both the Dry Oak Forest and Oak Savanna/Oak Woodland-Brushland types follow the forest plot protocols in FMH. The Tallgrass Prairie Openings type follows the brush plot protocols found in FMH.
Variables that are being measured to a statistically significant level are basal area of overstory trees (on forest & savanna plots) and the relative cover of native forbs, native grasses and native shrubs. Other variables that are being monitored, but not necessarily to a statistically significant level, are density of pole trees, density of tree species regeneration, woody vegetation recruitment (in the grassland type) and downed & dead woody fuel loading and litter depth (on forest & savanna plots).
