Hydration status influences seed fire tolerance in temperate European herbaceous species

Prescribed burning is an important management tool in many parts of the world. While natural fires generally occur during the driest and warmest period of the year, prescribed burning is often timed out‐of‐season, when there is higher soil moisture and lower biomass combustibility. However, fire season may influence seedling recruitment after fire, e.g. through the effect of seed hydration status on fire tolerance. In non‐fire‐prone temperate regions, anthropogenic fire may occur exclusively in periods outside the growing season with higher soil moisture, which may have negative consequences on seedling recruitment. Fire tolerance of moist and dry seeds of 16 temperate European herbaceous species belonging to four families was assessed using heat treatment of 100 °C for 5 min and subsequent germination trials. Moist seeds of Asteraceae, Poaceae and Brassicaceae had a predominantly negative reaction to the heat treatment, while those of Fabaceae tolerated it or germination was even enhanced. The reaction of dry seeds was completely different, with positive responses in three species of the Fabaceae and fire tolerance in species of other families. Our results point out that hydration status may significantly influence the post‐fire germination of seeds. Dry seeds were found to tolerate high heat, while moist seeds were harmed in more than half of the species. This implies that if prescribed burning is applied in temperate grasslands of Europe, it should be timed to dry periods of the dormant season in order to protect seeds from negative effects of fire.     

Prescribed burning as an alternative management in grasslands of temperate Europe: The impact on seeds

Fire is not an integral part of terrestrial ecosystems in temperate Europe, nevertheless prescribed burning is proposed to be an alternative to traditional management applied to grasslands. Thus, anthropogenic fire represents a serious challenge to plant species, and there is no information on how the recruitment of species responds to fire. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of fire on seed germination of 16 herbaceous grassland and ruderal species belonging to four common families. We first assessed the fuel load in open habitats in early spring and measured soil temperatures during experimental fires. After that we performed a controlled pot experiment involving heat treatments and experimental fire applied to seeds and followed their germination. Our measurements showed that maximum temperatures are between 73 °C and 264 °C on the ground surface and fire passage is fast, with short residence times of high temperatures. In deeper soil layers (1 cm and 5 cm), temperature increase is negligible. Seed germination of half of the species was decreased by the passage of fire, and a heat shock of 100 °C for 5 min had an even stronger adverse effect. Seeds of three Fabaceae species were stimulated by heat or fire, while negative effects prevailed among species belonging to other families. Anthropogenic fire in grasslands of temperate Europe might reduce recruitment by seed, particularly in species of the Asteraceae and Poaceae, two very important families with a large representation in temperate grasslands. Our results indicate that prescribed burning should be carefully applied in order not to endanger the local persistence of grassland species whose seedling emergence is negatively affected by fire.     

Global fire history of grassland biomes

Grasslands are globally extensive; they exist in many different climates, at high and low elevations, on nutrient‐rich and nutrient‐poor soils. Grassland distributions today are closely linked to human activities, herbivores, and fire, but many have been converted to urban areas, forests, or agriculture fields. Roughly 80% of fires globally occur in grasslands each year, making fire a critical process in grassland dynamics. Yet, little is known about the long‐term history of fire in grasslands. Here, we analyze sedimentary archives to reconstruct grassland fire histories during the Holocene. Given that grassland locations change over time, we compare several charcoal‐based fire reconstructions based on alternative classification schemes: (a) sites from modern grassland locations; (b) sites that were likely grasslands during the mid‐Holocene; and (c) sites based on author‐derived classifications. We also compare fire histories from grassland sites, forested sites, and all sites globally over the past 12,000 years. Forested versus grassland sites show different trends: grassland burning increased from the early to mid‐Holocene, reaching a maximum about 8000–6000 years ago, and subsequently declined, reaching a minimum around 4000 years ago. In contrast, biomass burning in forests increased during the Holocene until about 2000 years ago. Continental grassland fire history reconstructions show opposing Holocene trends in North versus South America, whereas grassland burning in Australia was highly variable in the early Holocene and much more stable after the mid‐Holocene. The sharp differences in continental as well as forest versus grassland Holocene fire history trajectories have important implications for our understanding of global biomass burning and its emissions, the global carbon cycle, biodiversity, conservation, and land management.     

火烧对长期封育草地土壤碳固持效应的影响

火烧是内蒙古典型草原的自然现象,对长期封育草地碳固持效应具有潜在的重要影响。基于野外控制火烧实验(未火烧、1a火烧1次、2a火烧1次、4a火烧1次),采用土壤和土壤粒级组分相结合的指标体系,分析了火烧以及火烧频率对长期封育草地土壤碳贮量的影响。结果表明:火烧会降低长期封育草地0—30 cm土壤碳贮量;其中,频繁火烧将显著降低草地土壤碳贮量,而4a 1次的火烧对土壤碳贮量影响较小。火烧对0—10 cm土壤碳贮量影响明显,而对10—30 cm土层影响较小。此外,火烧对长期封育草地土壤砂粒和粉粒碳氮贮量影响较大、对粘粒碳氮贮量影响较小。火烧后表层土壤砂粒和粉粒C∶N比下降,表层土壤有机质的稳定性有所提高。与自由放牧草地相比,连续遭受火烧处理的长期封育草地仍具有较高的碳贮量。总之,火烧会一定程度降低长期封育草地的碳贮量,但并不会彻底改变其显著的碳固持效应。     

Frequent use of burned grasslands by the vulnerable Saffron-Cowled Blackbird Xanthopsar flavus: implications for the conservation of the species

In the world scenario of declining grassland bird populations, South American species are a particular concern. The Saffron-Cowled Blackbird Xanthopsar flavus is endemic to grasslands in Central and southern South America and its status is vulnerable. Natural history studies stress a number of factors responsible for the decline in its populations. In this paper, we present results from a grassland fire experiment aimed at evaluating the effect of grassland fires on foraging (grasses) and breeding (marshes) habitat use by the Saffron-Cowled Blackbird in a region where fire has been used for centuries as a tool for cattle management. We compare burned grasslands with a control treatment and grasslands within a conservation unit, evaluating uses before and after burning as well as relating bird abundance with environmental characteristics. We found that the Saffron-Cowled Blackbird used the burned treatments more frequently and avoided habitats with tall grasses and developed vegetation. Thus, this species is absent from the conservation unit, which has not experienced fires in nearly three decades. The Saffron-Cowled Blackbird depends on the existence of marshes (breeding habitat) surrounded by short grasses (foraging habitat). In the study region, short grasses are a result of burning practices. As the burning period coincides with the breeding season, the lack of criteria on the part of landowners regarding how to apply and control fire poses a permanent threat to these populations.     

Burning and Grazing Management in a California Grassland: Effect on Bunchgrass Seed Viability

Prescribed fire is an important management tool for reducing the dominance of non‐native species in annual grasslands; both annual and perennial native species show strong vegetative responses in the subsequent growing season. However, although the post‐fire contribution of native species to the seed bank is assumed to be larger than in pretreatment years, the effects on seed quality, particularly viability and longevity, are not well understood. In this study, I germinated Nassella pulchra (purple needlegrass) seed that had been stored for 10 years after collection from target plants receiving treatment combinations of summer burning and grazing by sheep. Seeds from burned plants were larger and had higher germinability than seed from unburned plants. Seeds from plants that were both burned and grazed had the highest germination. The strong relationship between long‐term viability and seed size suggests greater maternal provisioning and increased seed quality subsequent to burning and grazing. I conclude that managing for seed quality may be a useful approach for conservation of native species in California's critically endangered grassland habitats.     

The effects of grassland management using fire on habitat occupancy and conservation of birds in a mosaic landscape

Prescribed burning is routinely used to improve grazing in Pyrenean rangelands affected by an overall trend of land abandonment. This study considers the environmental variables influencing habitat occupancy by birds and the consequences of the use of fire in range management for bird conservation. Bird use and habitat structure of 11 cover types, the result of specific management regimes, were monitored for two breeding seasons in a mosaic landscape. Three main gradients of avian composition, corresponding to tree cover, shrub volume and grazing intensity, were identified from canonical correspondence analysis. The structure of the bird community seemed more intensely affected by species-specific selection of cover types than by the birds' use of multiple patches. Out of a total of 10 bird species analysed by a simultaneous confidence intervals procedure, four species with an unfavourable conservation status in Europe (Emberiza cia, Lullula arborea, Saxicola torquata and Lanius collurio) preferred managed grassland. Three types of grassland with shrubs (derived from single or repeated burning) had the highest bird conservation index (taking into account specific status and abundance of the bird assemblage), whereas forests showed middle or low values. The relation (P = 0.054) of this index to the logarithm of the pastoral value (which includes density and grazing quality of grasses) in currently managed cover types suggests that the objectives of grassland recovery by appropriate management practices and those of bird conservation coincide in our study area.     

Does fire severity influence shrub resprouting after spring prescribed burning?

Prescribed burning is commonly used to reduce the risk of severe wildfire. However, further information about the associated environmental effects is required to help forest managers select the most appropriate treatment. To address this question, we evaluated if fire severity during spring prescribed burning significantly affects the resprouting ability of two common shrub species in shrubland under a Mediterranean climate in NW Spain. Fire behaviour and temperatures were recorded in tagged individuals of Erica australis and Pterospartum tridentatum during prescribed burning. The number and length of resprouted shoots were measured three times (6, 12 and 18 months) after the prescribed burning. The influence of a series of fire severity indicators on some plant resprouting vigour parameters was tested by canonical correlation analysis. Six months and one year after prescribed burning, soil burn severity (measured by the absolute reduction in depth of the organic soil layer, maximum temperatures in the organic soil layer and the mineral soil surface during burning and the post-fire depth of the organic soil layer) reduced the resprouting vigour of E. australis and P. tridentatum. In contrast, direct measurements of fire effects on plants (minimum branch diameter, duration of temperatures above 300 °C in the shrub crown and fireline intensity) did not affect the post-fire plant vigour.Soil burn severity during spring prescribed burning significantly affected the short-term resprouting vigour in a mixed heathland in Galicia. The lack of effects eighteen months after prescribed burning indicates the high resilience of these species and illustrates the need to conciliate fire prevention and conservation goals.     

Can fire avoid massive and rapid habitat change in Italian heathlands?

Heathlands are a peculiar habitat of western Europe, and have markedly declined over the last decades. Most of the remaining fragments are now protected, but are still threatened by the encroachment of pioneer trees such as Betula pendula Roth and Populus tremula L. Prescribed fire and mechanical cutting are commonly used to control pioneer trees in northern countries, but there is little understanding of their effects towards the southern edge of the range of European heathlands. I report the results of 14 years of monitoring in a network of permanent plots located in the Vauda, one of the largest lowland heathlands in Italy. Even at high frequencies (≥3 burns in 14 years) fire did not control the expansion of pioneer trees. Actually, at frequencies of 1–2 burns in 14 years, fire stimulated the expansion of pioneer trees. The growth of pioneer trees was rapid: grassland might be completely lost from the Vauda Nature Reserve in as little as 15 years. Only yearly mechanical cutting was able to control woody plants, while in mown plots cover of C. vulgaris ranged between 7% and 19% through the study. This work shows that management of southern European lowland heathlands must be more intensive than what is usually applied in north-European contexts, because fire alone cannot control pioneer trees. Rather, combinations of prescribed fire, mowing and increasing grazing/browsing will be necessary to achieve long term conservation of heathlands where fast rates of scrub and woodland encroachment is observed.     

Late‐Holocene fire history in a forest‐grassland mosaic in southern Brasil: Implications for conservation

Question: Is the diverse mosaic of forest/grassland (Campos) vegetation on the hills in the Porto Alegre region natural or of anthropogenic origin? What are the best approaches to management and conservation of forest/grassland mosaics in southern Brazil? Location: 280 m a.s.l., Rio Grande do Sul State (30°04′32″S; 51°06′05″W, southern Brazil. Methods: A 50-cm long radiocarbon dated sediment core from a swamp on Morro Santana was analysed for pollen and charcoal, and multivariate data analysis was used to reconstruct past vegetation and fire dynamics. Results: The formation of swamp deposits is related to a change to wetter climatic conditions since 1230 cal yr BP. The diverse forest/grassland mosaic existed already at that time and can be seen as natural in origin as it has been also shown from other studies in southern Brazil. Since 580 cal yr BP, forests expanded continuously. The marked higher occurrence of the pioneer Myrsine during the last 70 years, indicates a change in the disturbance regime. In the past, vegetation has been influenced by mostly anthropogenic fire, set first by Amerindians and later by European settlers. Conclusions: Management for conservation of forest/grassland mosaics should take into account, first, that grasslands are remnants of earlier drier Holocene periods and not a result of deforestation and, second, the history of disturbance by grazing and fire. Suppression of grazing and burning has likely resulted in a trend towards more woody vegetation under modern wet climatic conditions. If management for conservation excludes fire, the present grassland patches will tend to disappear due to forest expansion under the modern humid climate. Maintaining or reintroducing cattle grazing in conservation areas could be an alternative to fire.     

Season of burning in the Sydney region: The historical records compared with recent prescribed burning

Abstract Prescribed burning is regularly carried out by land management agencies controlling bushland estate in the Sydney region. Despite the volume of research into the interrelationships between fire and Australian ecosystems, season of burning has received comparatively little attention and is poorly understood. This paper considers three aspects of season of burning in the Sydney region, which is located on the boundary of the spring and spring-summer fire season zones, identified by Luke and McArthur (1978). First the paper reviews research on the responses of biota to fire season to establish what is known of the ecological importance of fire season. The historical records of fires in the early period of Sydney's settlement (1788–1845) are then used to determine the seasonal pattern of fire in that period, and the extent to which these records reflect Aboriginal practices which contributed to the historic fire regime. Recent prescribed burning is sampled through the practices of two major land management authorities in northern Sydney (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service and Hornsby Shire Council) to compare current practices with the early records and the ecological evidence. The results of the very limited ecological research on season is far from conclusive. Positive and negative effects have been shown for both autumn and spring with autumn-winter perhaps showing the greater degree of negative impacts, although it is often difficult to separate the effects of season from intensity. The historic records show a pattern of fires, including those lit by Aborigines, largely confined to the fire season of spring-early summer (August to January). By contrast 60% of prescribed burning in northern Sydney by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service and Hornsby Council from 1980 to 1995 was conducted in autumn-winter (April to July). Prescribed burning in summer cannot be considered for practical reasons but timing of prescribed burning at other seasons is also largely dictated by pragmatic factors such as suitable weather and availability of personnel.     

Seed Bank Dynamics of French Broom in Coastal California Grasslands: Effects of Stand Age and Prescribed Burning on Control and Restoration

Abstract Successful control of invasive exotic plants depends to a large degree on the regeneration potential of the target exotic species and other species that might also be influenced by the removal effort. In coastal grasslands of California, exotic French broom (Genista monspessulana) forms both dense stands aboveground and abundant seed banks belowground. Land managers attempt to reduce broom cover and the seed bank through prescribed burning, but before this study, no investigators had examined the effect of repeated burning on French broom and associated grassland species. We found that the soil seed bank of stands that were burned had fewer broom seeds than unburned areas but that repeated burning did not reduce the seed bank beyond what was observed after one fire. Fire also did not have any consistent effect on the seed banks of other grassland species. We also examined the relationship between broom stand age and seed bank size but did not find a strong relationship between them. Our data suggested that the broom seed bank stays constant or declines slightly with stand age. We did, however, find that nonbroom seed numbers decreased as broom stands aged. Our results suggest that fire does reduce the size of the broom seed bank and that control of broom need not be limited to only the youngest stands.     

Using consecutive prescribed fires to reduce shrub encroachment in grassland by increasing shrub mortality

Woody plant encroachment into open grasslands occurs worldwide and causes multiple ecological and management impacts. Prescribed fire could be used to conserve grassland habitat but often has limited efficacy because many woody plants resprout after fire and rapidly reestablish abundance. If fire‐induced mortality could be increased, prescribed fire would be a more effective management tool. In California's central coast, shrub encroachment, especially of Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush), is converting coastal prairie into shrub‐dominated communities, with a consequent loss of native herbaceous species and open grassland habitat. B. pilularis has not been successfully controlled with single prescribed fire events because the shrub resprouts and reestablishes cover within a few years. We investigated whether two consecutive annual burns would control B. pilularis by killing resprouting shrubs, without reducing native herbaceous species or encouraging invasive plants. As expected, resprouting did occur; however, 2 years after the second burn, B. pilularis cover on burned plots was only 41% of the cover on unburned plots. Mortality of B. pilularis more than doubled following the second burn, likely maintaining a reduction in B. pilularis cover for longer than a single burn would have. Three native coastal prairie perennial grasses did not appear to be adversely affected by the two burns, nor did the burns result in increased cover of invasive species. Managers wanting to restore coastal prairie following B. pilularis encroachment should consider two consecutive annual burns, especially if moderate fire intensity is achievable.     

Substrate controls growth rates of the woody pioneer Leptospermum lanigerum colonizing montane grasslands in northern Tasmania

Woody encroachment into grasslands is occurring across the world and is of concern to land managers. Studies of forest–grassland boundaries have informed models describing factors that govern tree establishment and the maintenance and origin of grassland ecosystems. Central to these models is the role of fire relative to ‘bottom up’ resources such as soil and the geological substrate in determining the extent of grassland and forest in the landscape. The view that human lit fires have shaped vegetation across the Australian continent has been bolstered by early 19th century observations of Aboriginal‐set fires in Tasmanian montane grasslands and the documented encroachment of trees into these grasslands in the 20th century. We examined the pattern of lateral encroachment of woolly tea‐tree (Leptospermum lanigerum (Sol. ex Aiton) Sm.) into these grasslands and used tree ring chronologies to investigate (i) past fire activity and (ii) how the geological substrate mediates growth rates of L. lanigerum. Changes in fire regimes inferred from L. lanigerum recruitment were corroborated by historical records. Encroachment (and increases in woody cover) of trees into grasslands was highest on granitic substances, although L. lanigerum growth rates were highest on basalt substrates, followed by conglomerate, granite and Mathinna sediments. Frequent burning up to the 1980s may have stymied the encroachment of trees in grasslands underlain by basalt. Growth rates decreased with increasing distance from the forest edge. This may be due to incremental changes in soil resources, grass competition and/or microclimate. The dynamics between grasslands and forests in montane Tasmania are consistent with tree growth–fire interaction models that highlight the interplay of edaphic factors, growth rates and fire history. Such complexity cautions against generalizations concerning the direct effects of landscape fire in shaping vegetation distribution across Australia.     

Effects of Patch-Burn Management on Dickcissel Nest Success in a Tallgrass Prairie

Abstract Grassland birds have declined more than any other North American habitat-associated bird community. Because most species of grassland birds evolved within heterogeneous landscapes created by the interaction of fire and grazing, traditional rangeland management that promotes homogeneity, including annual dormant-season burning combined with early-intensive grazing, might be partly responsible for these declines, especially in some regions of the Great Plains, USA. Recently, an alternative grassland management practice known as patch-burning has been promoted as a means of restoring heterogeneity to grasslands by mimicking the grazing-fire interaction that once occurred on the prairie before European settlement. From 2003 to 2004, we examined effects of patch-burning and traditional management (annual burning followed by early-intensive grazing) on the reproductive success of dickcissels (Spiza americana) in tallgrass prairie in Oklahoma. We monitored 296 dickcissel nests and found that dickcissel nesting phenology differed between traditional and patch-burned pastures. Specifically, dickcissels tended to initiate their nests later in the traditional pasture. Mean number of eggs laid and fledglings produced were similar between the treatments, but nest densities were higher in traditional pastures. Predation was the predominant cause of nest failure and was higher in traditional pastures than in patch-burned pastures. Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism was higher in traditional pastures than in patch-burned pastures. Overall, dickcissel nest success was higher in patch-burned pastures than in traditional pastures. The positive response of dickcissel nest success to patch-burn management provides further evidence that this practice can be a useful tool for grassland bird conservation. By creating a mosaic of different stature vegetation, patch-burn management enhances productivity of grassland bird species by providing a refuge area in the unburned patches that affords dickcissels and other nesting grassland birds some protection from the direct (e.g., trampling) and indirect (e.g., cowbird parasitism and predation) effects of grazing, which are not available under traditional management. Patch-burn management should be encouraged as a conservation strategy for grassland birds throughout the Great Plains.     

The influence of fire on Illinois hill prairie Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera) diversity and integrity

Prescribed burning has been important in maintaining the structure of plant communities in the tallgrass prairie. However, implementation of these burn regimes often overlooks responses of other taxa, particularly arthropods. In this study, the timing and frequency of burns were examined on one of the most diverse and abundant groups of herbivorous insects, Auchenorrhyncha. These insects are ideal candidates in understanding the effects of fire on prairie arthropods because they are among the most numerous invertebrate herbivores in the prairie and they have ecological characteristics that confer a wide range of responses to prescribed burning. A total of 19 Illinois hill prairies were sampled along the Mississippi and Sangamon Rivers in the summer of 2006 using a modified leaf-blower vacuum. These sites exhibited a wide range of burn management, from unburned to recently burned, and having been burned multiple times. Species richness, Auchenorrhyncha Quality Index (with and without abundance data) and the mean coefficient of conservatism (with and without abundance data) were calculated for each site. Results suggest that unburned sites supported the greatest number of species and had higher Auchenorrhyncha Quality Index and mean coefficient of conservatism values than sites undergoing burn management. In order for land managers to maintain the prairie Auchenorrhyncha community and conserve vascular plants, this study recommends infrequent rotational burning with a minimum of 3?C5?years; although additional studies are needed to determine the appropriate number of years between each burn.     

Cessation of Burning Dries Soils Long Term in a Tallgrass Prairie

Soil moisture is a critical variable in grassland function, yet how fire regimes influence ecohydrology is poorly understood. By altering productivity, species composition, and litter accumulation, fire can indirectly increase or decrease soil water depletion on a range of time scales and depths in the soil profile. To better understand how fire influences soil moisture in grasslands, we analyzed 28 years of soil moisture data from two watersheds in a central North American grassland which differ in their long-term fire frequency. Across 28 years, cessation of prescribed burning initially led to wetter soils, likely as litter accumulated and both transpiration and evaporation were suppressed. Long-term, cessation of burning led to soils drying more, especially at depths greater than 75 cm. The long-term drying of deep soils is consistent with the increase in woody species in the infrequently burned grassland as woody species likely have a greater reliance on soil water from deeper soil layers compared to co-occurring herbaceous species. Despite the ecohydrological changes associated with the cessation of prescribed burning, watersheds with different burn regimes responded similarly to short-term variation in climate variation. In both watersheds, low precipitation and high temperatures led to drier soils with greater responses in soil moisture to climate variation later in the season than earlier. There is no current evidence that the cessation of burning in this ecosystem will qualitatively alter how evapotranspiration responds to climate variation, but the use of deeper soil water by woody plants has the potential for greater transpiration during dry times. In all, modeling the depth-specific responses of soil moisture and associated ecosystem processes to changes in burn regimes will likely require including responses of plant community composition over short and long time scales.     

First Approximations of Prescribed Fire Risks Relative to Other Management Techniques Used on Private Lands

Fire is widely recognized as a critical ecological and evolutionary driver that needs to be at the forefront of land management actions if conservation targets are to be met. However, the prevailing view is that prescribed fire is riskier than other land management techniques. Perceived risks associated with the application of fire limits its use and reduces agency support for prescribed burning in the private sector. As a result, considerably less cost-share support is given for prescribed fire compared to mechanical techniques. This study tests the general perception that fire is a riskier technique relative to other land management options. Due to the lack of data available to directly test this notion, we use a combination of approaches including 1) a comparison of fatalities resulting from different occupations that are proxies for techniques employed in land management, 2) a comparison of fatalities resulting from wildland fire versus prescribed fire, and 3) an exploration of causal factors responsible for wildland fire-related fatalities. This approach establishes a first approximation of the relative risk of fatality to private citizens using prescribed fire compared to other management techniques that are readily used in ecosystem management. Our data do not support using risks of landowner fatalities as justification for the use of alternative land management techniques, such as mechanical (machine-related) equipment, over prescribed fire. Vehicles and heavy machinery are consistently leading reasons for fatalities within occupations selected as proxies for management techniques employed by ranchers and agricultural producers, and also constitute a large proportion of fatalities among firefighters. Our study provides the foundation for agencies to establish data-driven decisions regarding the degree of support they provide for prescribed burning on private lands.     

Season of fire influences seed dispersal by wind in a serotinous obligate seeding tree

Plant Ecology - In temperate ecosystems, fire management involving prescribed burning and wildfire suppression often causes a shift in fire season from hot and dry summer conditions to cooler,...     

Response of grassland birds to management in national battlefield parks

Grassland birds are in steep decline, with population declines reported in 74% of North American grassland species in the past 50 years. Declines are particularly severe in the eastern United States where they are influenced by habitat loss and alteration due to urbanization, forest regrowth, and agricultural intensification. The United States National Park Service maintains civil war battlefields in the eastern United States as historical and cultural parks that may also provide habitat refuge for grassland birds within an increasingly urbanized matrix. To assess the conservation importance of battlefield parks and the role of park management in sustaining grassland birds, we surveyed for 2 declining grassland-breeding species, eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) and grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), at 242 points across 4 battlefield parks in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, USA, from 2014–2019 and in 2021. We modeled the effects of park management activities (prescribed fire, agricultural leases, and delayed harvest) and habitat and landscape characteristics on breeding-season occupancy. There was support for the influence of local habitat features, landscape, and management. Breeding-season occupancy of both species was consistently higher in hayfields and pasture than in row crops, and both species responded positively to hay and crop harvest delays intended for grassland bird conservation. Prescribed fire within the past 2 years had a positive effect on occupancy of grasshopper sparrows but did not influence eastern meadowlarks. Eastern meadowlarks responded to land cover at multiple spatial scales that are influenced by land use within and outside the parks. Management activities that maintain the parks' cultural goals, including partnerships between national parks and private agricultural operators, are likely to provide valuable habitat for these 2 obligate grassland birds.