Responses of heather moorland and Mediterranean mouflon foraging to prescribed-burning and cutting

We assessed the effects of prescribed burning and cutting on mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon × Ovis sp.) spring habitat using an experimental design (17.28 ha) of 2 burned, 2 cut, and 2 untreated plots within a homogeneous stand dominated by heather (Erica cinerea and Calluna vulgaris). Overall, we found a shift in treated plots from ligneous species to herbaceous species with high digestive and energetic values for mouflon. We also found a consistently higher number of mouflon feeding on these treated habitats compared to untreated plots. Such effects were still apparent 4 years after habitat modifications. Our approaches could be used by managers to improve and maintain the range of mouflon populations experiencing habitat loss (e.g., woody plant encroachment) and for which the condition of an animal has often a high economical value through trophy hunting. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Sagebrush treatments influence annual population change for greater sage‐grouse

Vegetation management practices have been applied worldwide to enhance habitats for a variety of wildlife species. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp.) communities, iconic to western North America, have been treated to restore herbaceous understories through chemical, mechanical, and prescribed burning practices thought to improve habitat conditions for greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and other species. Although the response of structural attributes of sagebrush communities to treatments is well understood, there is a need to identify how treatments influence wildlife population dynamics. We investigated the influence of vegetation treatments occurring in Wyoming, United States, from 1994 to 2012 on annual sage‐grouse population change using yearly male sage‐grouse lek counts. We investigated this response across 1, 3, 5, and 10‐year post‐treatment lags to evaluate how the amount of treated sagebrush communities and time since treatment influenced population change, while accounting for climate, wildfire, and anthropogenic factors. With the exception of chemical treatments exhibiting a positive association with sage‐grouse population change 11 years after implementation, population response to treatments was either neutral or negative for at least 11 years following treatments. Our work supports a growing body of research advocating against treating big sagebrush habitats for sage‐grouse, particularly in Wyoming big sagebrush (A. t. wyomingensis). Loss and fragmentation of sagebrush habitats has been identified as a significant threat for remaining sage‐grouse populations. Because sagebrush may take decades to recover following treatments, we recommend practitioners use caution when designing projects to alter remaining habitats, especially when focused on habitat requirements for one life stage and a single species.     

The phosphorus‐rich signature of fire in the soil–plant system: a global meta‐analysis

The biogeochemical and stoichiometric signature of vegetation fire may influence post‐fire ecosystem characteristics and the evolution of plant ‘fire traits’. Phosphorus (P), a potentially limiting nutrient in many fire‐prone environments, might be particularly important in this context; however, the effects of fire on P cycling often vary widely. We conducted a global‐scale meta‐analysis using data from 174 soil studies and 39 litter studies, and found that fire led to significantly higher concentrations of soil mineral P as well as significantly lower soil and litter carbon:P and nitrogen:P ratios. These results demonstrate that fire has a P‐rich signature in the soil–plant system that varies with vegetation type. Further, they suggest that burning can ease P limitation and decouple the biogeochemical cycling of P, carbon and nitrogen. These effects resemble a transient reversion to an earlier stage of ecosystem development, and likely underpin at least some of fire's impacts on ecosystems and organisms.     

Restoration Efforts for Plant and Bird Communities in Tallgrass Prairies Using Prescribed Burning and Mowing

Recent losses and fragmentation of tallgrass prairie habitat to agriculture and urban development have led to corresponding declines in diversity and abundance of plants and birds associated with such habitat. Mowing and burning are alternative management strategies for restoring and rejuvenating prairies in fragmented landscapes, but their specific, comparative effects are the subjects of ongoing evaluation. We compared the responses of plant and bird communities on four sets of mowed, burned, and untreated sites of small (3–10 ha), fragmented tallgrass prairies at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR), Iowa, U.S.A., during May–July in 1998 and 1999. Species richness and diversity of plants, resident grassland birds, and communities of birds associated with grassland edges (edge species) were independent of treatment. Although not affecting species richness and diversity in plant communities, mowed sites ranked lower in total plant coverage and total forb coverage than burned sites or untreated sites. In contrast, untreated sites had more coverage by shrubs, suggesting that mowing and burning did retard shrub encroachment. Overall, abundance and diversity of plants and birds were generally insensitive to management strategies. Small, fragmented sites of rare habitat may not respond in the short term to management treatments and may not be capable of supporting highly diverse communities, no matter how intensively manipulated. It is more probable that diversity of native prairie communities can be enhanced and restored only through long‐term efforts, acquisition of large land units capable of supporting stable populations, and deliberate reintroduction of species of high conservation value.     

Reuse potential of agricultural wastes in semi-arid regions: Egypt as a case study

Agricultural wastes represent an important source of bio-energy and valuable products. In Egypt, 18% of the agricultural wastes is used directly as fertiliser. Another 30% is used as animal food. The remainder is burnt directly on the fields or is used for heating in the small villages, using low efficiency burners. These wastes can be used more efficiently as a source of energy and as organic fertiliser. The anaerobic bioconversion of these materials will result in a net energy production. The utilisation of agricultural wastes for the production of energy and compost, combined with using solar energy will save fossil fuel, improve health conditions and the general life quality in the villages. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Long term repeated prescribed burning increases evenness in the basidiomycete laccase gene pool in forest soils

Repeated prescribed burning alters the biologically labile fraction of nutrients and carbon of soil organic matter (SOM). Using a long-term (30 years) repeated burning experiment where burning has been carried out at a 2- or 4-year frequency, we analysed the effect of prescribed burning on gross potential C turnover rates and phenol oxidase activity in relation to shifts in SOM composition as observed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In tandem, we assessed the genetic diversity of basidiomycete laccases. While the overall effect of burning was a decline in phenol oxidase activity, Shannon diversity and evenness of laccases was significantly higher in burned sites. Co-correspondence analysis of SOM composition and laccase operational taxonomic unit frequency data also suggested a strong correlation. While this correlation could indicate that the observed increase in laccase genetic diversity due to burning is due to increased resource diversity, a temporal replacement of the most abundant members of the assembly by an otherwise dormant pool of fungi cannot be excluded. As such, our results fit the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Effects were stronger in plots burned in 2-year rotations, suggesting that the 4-year burn frequency may be a more sustainable practice to ensure the long-term stability of C cycling in such ecosystems.     

Evaluation of the effectiveness of an early peripheral burning strategy in controlling wild fires in north‐western Zimbabwe

A review of the occurrence of wild fires in Sengwa Wildlife Research Area (SWRA), Zimbabwe, is presented for the period 1965–1993. The effectiveness and desirability of early burning of peripheral areas introduced in 1979 are evaluated. More than 75% of wild fires occurred between July and October, 48.6% of which originated from communal lands. Early burning of peripheral areas led to significant reductions in extent of areas burnt, from annual mean areas of 115 km² (1965–1978) to 11 km² (1979–1993) because of effective control of fires, which originated from communal lands. Some areas did not burn at all after 1979, and the overall probability of burning dropped from 0.484 to 0.187. Whilst it may be desirable to keep fires out of SWRA in the short term, fuel build‐ups increase the fire hazard resulting in negative consequences on biodiversity in the long term. Consideration should be given to combine peripheral burning with low‐intensity prescribed burning of selected blocks to keep a semblance of natural fire regimes to ensure the maintenance of biodiversity while simultaneously reducing the fire‐hazard. An integrated fire management plan should be put in place for SWRA.