Title: Numerical response of small vertebrates to prescribed fire in a California oak woodland
Author: Vreeland, Justin K.; Tietje, William D.
Date: 2002
Source: In: Standiford, Richard B., et al, tech. editor. Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium on Oak Woodlands: Oaks in California's Challenging Landscape. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-184, Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: 269-279
Station ID: GTR-PSW-184
Description: Use of prescribed fire for management of livestock forage and fuel load is increasing in California oak woodlands, but its effects on vertebrate wildlife are unknown. We conducted a light-intensity prescribed fire in mixed blue oak-coast live-oak woodlands in coastal-central California and assessed vegetation change and numerical response of small, non-game vertebrates, to the fire. The prescribed fire significantly reduced four (grass, shrub cover, coarse woody debris, woodrat houses; P<0.05) of the 13 vegetation and habitat components that we measured. We observed no change in relative abundance of small mammals, breeding birds, amphibians, or reptiles in response to the prescribed fire. Light- to moderate-intensity prescribed fire in California oak woodlands is probably beneficial by reducing resource competition from exotic annual grasses, stimulating shrub and tree vigor and, ultimately, overall habitat rejuvenation. A high-intensity prescribed fire is planned for the fall of 2002 to yield a better understanding of the response of terrestrial vertebrates to the range of prescribed fires that are conducted in California oak woodland.
Keywords:
View and Print this Publication (320 KB)
Publication Notes:
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
- You may send email to pubrequest@fs.f
ed.us to request a hard copy of this publication. (Please specify exactly
which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility
Citation
Vreeland, Justin K.; Tietje, William D. 2002. Numerical response of small vertebrates to prescribed fire in a California oak woodland. In: Standiford, Richard B., et al, tech. editor. Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium on Oak Woodlands: Oaks in California's Challenging Landscape. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-184, Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: 269-279.