Different Fires Make for Different Habitat

Different Fires Make for Different Habitat

Habitat (plant) response after a fire is influenced by the intensity of the fire, condition of plants at the time of burn, weather conditions, and grazing management decisions following the fire. However, fire effects differ depending upon rainfall, fuel quantity, and length of the growing season.

Several factors that determine a fire’s intensity are fuel quantity and continuity, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, soil moisture, and direction of the flame front movement relative to the wind direction. Keep all of these factors in mind when planning a safe and effective burn to improve your deer habitat.

Generally, the intensity of a fire increases with greater quantity and continuity of fuel, higher temperature and wind speed, and lower humidity and soil moisture. In addition, a fire set to move in the same direction as the wind (headfire) tends to be more intense than a flame moving against the wind (backfire).

Different Fires Make for Different Habitat

Controlling the fire’s intesity through correct firing techniques under appropriate conditions is a key factor in achieving the desired responses from a prescribed burn.

An equally important factor to consider when planning a burn to accomplish specific objectives is the stage and type of growth of desirable and target species. For example, the growth stage of forbs at the time of the burn greatly affects the current and following year’s production. Forbs are prolific seed producers, but an untimely fire can destroy forb seed production and important white-tailed deer food.

Forb seedlings are highly susceptible to fire. Therfore, a late winter burn after many annuals have germinated reduces their population. Burns conducted in early to mid-winter with good soil moisture results in late winter annuals and allows rapid recovery of perennials, and is probably more beneficial for deer. However, I suggest burning some of your designated burn areas in early winter and some in late winter to keep a diversity of habitat.

Different Fires Make for Different Habitat

Prescribed Burning for the Management of White-tailed Deer

Prescribed Burning for Deer Management

Prescribed burning is very effective at maintaining highly-productive white-tailed deer habitat. It is one of the best management tools that we land managers have in our toolbox. However, many folks get real nervous whenever someone talks about burning their property. Over the past several decades, there has been a lot of negative press regarding wildfires and the “destruction” of wildlife habitat. Truth be known, (wild) fires are a natural part of the system. In fact, plants and animals are adapted to the periodic disturbance caused by fire.

Prescribed burns, however, are not and should not be wild. When setting up a prescribed burn, prescribed fire, controlled burn, or whatever you want to call it, the person responsible for the fire basically writes a prescription for the fire. This means that a host of conditions must be met in order to carry out the burn safely and effectively.

Prescribed Burning for the Management of White-tailed Deer

Planning a Prescribed Burn

Fire breaks, fuel loads, sustained wind direction, relative humidity, and safety equipment must all be address for a properly conducted prescribed burn. When all conditions of the burn are met, the prescription is completely achieved, and the area can be burned. When used correctly, fire is quite inexpensive on a per acre basis and it’s one of the best management practices for native plants and wildlife.

Prescribed Burning for the Management of White-tailed Deer

Burning habitat is a great management tool, but to really appreciate what the process accomplishes, it takes more in-depth research on the topic. However, I will let you know that burning an area provides an increase in the food value of regenerated plant growth. In addition, it keeps plants, primarily browse plants, at a manageable level for white-tailed deer.

Remember, deer can only use plant material they can reach, and this is only about 5-foot in height. If it’s higher than 5-foot, it’s out of a deer’s reach. Browse and forbs provide the bulk of a whitetail’s diet and burning helps both of these plant communities.

Habitat Management & Prescribed Burns

Just about every type of “brush” will root-sprout after a fire, except blueberry cedar which is good for blueberry cedar control (Ashe juniper). This is a key point to keep in mind. Once browse plants grow too high, much of the production is not within the reach of a deer. Burning an area and top-killing these plants will top-kill browse plants and promote root-sprouting, low-level regrowth, and more energy-packed forage.

Forbs in the area will also benefit from prescribed burning, but the time during which a burn is conducted can have varying impacts on both forbs and grasses. We will talk more about this later.

Prescribed Burning for the Management of White-tailed Deer