FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Aphelocoma coerulescens | Scrub Jay 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Fires during the nesting season may destroy scrub jay nests.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Fire-destroyed habitat can force scrub jays to relocate their home
ranges temporarily [21].  However, scrub oaks, when burned, are quick to
resprout, and usually are not replaced by southern pines, which may be
unsuitable for Florida scrub jay habitat [9].  Fire exclusion from
Florida scrub jay habitat allows sand pine and other species to become
too dense for bird populations [9].  Too frequent fires can also kill
oaks, which are needed for food and shelter [5].  A prescribed burn in
Nevada did not enhance scrub jay populations; scrub jay was the only
"ground-dependent" bird not to increase following the burn [15].  Fires
on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, also did not
benefit scrub jay populations [6].  The authors suggested that area
sample sizes may have biased this conclusion.

Scrub jay populations did not show a significant increase following a
late November prescribed fire in oak/palmetto palm scrub in central
Florida [5].  Scrub jay densities were higher in the mechanically
cleared oak scrub types than in the burned oak/palmetto types.  However,
the beneficial effects of fire for scrub jays may take a long time to
become apparent; Florida scrub jays have been known to decrease in
fire-excluded areas [5].  See Quercus virginiana and other Quercus
write-ups in FEIS database.


FIRE USE : 
Fire is essential for scrub jay habitat maintenance.  Some authors have
recommended burning Florida scrub oak stands at the very least every 20
to 30 years, depending on the growth rate of the oak [9].  Fire can be
used to create and maintain stand openings essential for feeding [16].
In addition fires can rejuvenate decadent stands for nesting and food
production.  Cox [9] recommended following these parameters when using
fire as a tool for Florida scrub jay habitat maintenance:

(1)  leave scrub oaks less than 1.5 feet (1 m) high
(2)  burn oaks over 10.5 feet (3.5 m) high every 3 to 5 years 
     maximum, and 15 to 20 years minimum
(3)  leave adequate habitat while the burned area recovers
(4)  burn in a mosaic to provide dense cover for nesting and
     create open space for feeding
(5)  if burning on a 10-year cycle, then burn 10 percent of the total
     area every year
(6)  if firebreaks are necessary, habitat should be divided into 25- to
     50-acre (10-20 ha) parcels
(7)  if less than 5 percent of the area is bare ground, burn when oaks
     reach 6 to 9 feet (2-3 m) in height; if greater than 15 percent of
     the area is bare ground, burn when oaks reach 9 to 10.5 feet 
     (3-3.5 m) in height


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Aphelocoma coerulescens | Scrub Jay