FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anas acuta | Northern Pintail 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Stubble fields in which northern pintails nest are often burned in the
spring by farmers.  Therefore, northern pintail nests are highly
susceptible to destruction by fire [1,5].  Ducklings and molting adults
are very vulnerable to fire.  When not molting, adult northern pintails
can probably easily escape fire.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Fire can destroy nesting cover used by northern pintails.  One study of
agricultural spring burning within Manitoba's pothole region showed that
northern pintails preferred unburned nest cover [5].  Here, fires before
May 10 destroy nesting cover and nests of these ducks.  Large-scale
autumn burning can have a detrimental effect on marshes by reducing
their ability to catch and retain drifting snow, which adds heavily to
spring run-off.  The ability of marsh vegetation to catch and hold snow
can be vital to marsh survival [17].

The effects of fire on northern pintails are not all negative; fire can
create feeding habitat.  According to Hoffpauer [8] it is not uncommon
to see large numbers of northern pintails in recently burned areas on
Louisiana and Texas coastal marshes.  On these burns, northern pintails
feed upon small aquatic grubs that have been stirred up by snow geese
(Chen caerulescens).  Additionally, fire often removes excessive
accumulations of fast-growing hydrophytes permitting better waterfowl
access and growth of more desirable duck foods.  Fire can also convert
forested uplands adjacent to aquatic habitats to grasses and sedges,
thus increasing the nesting potential of some waterfowl [16].


FIRE USE : 
Wetlands can be burned to create nesting edge for waterfowl and reverse
plant succession to a subclimax plant community which is more attractive
to waterfowl.  Control of woody encroachment is vital if prairie marshes
are to remain in this successional state [17].  Fire can be used to
reduce predator activity through the elimination of hiding cover.
Fritzell [5] found greater hatching success in burned versus unburned
cover, suggesting a reduction of predator activity in burned areas.

Desirable northern pintail foods such as pondweed can be restored using
fire by removing fast-growing undesirable species such as common reed
(Phragmites australis) [15].  The best way to reduce common reed with
prescribed burning is to burn during the summer when carbohydrate
reserves in the plant are low and when the soil is dry [7].

If prescribed burning is used as a management tool in marshes, burning
must be conducted before or after the nesting season [15,17].  Spring
burning in the Manitoba pothole region must be completed before April 20
when northern pintails start nesting [17].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Anas acuta | Northern Pintail