FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Buteo regalis | Ferruginous Hawk 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Fire has the potential to adversely affect ferruginous hawk reproductive
success if the fire is intense enough to destroy nest trees.  Light
winter burning probably does no substantial harm [14].  Severe fires or
fire suppression efforts during the nesting season may cause ferruginous
hawks to abandon their nests.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
The ferruginous hawk occurs in the following major fire-dependent plant
associations in the western United States:  grassland, semidesert
grass-shrub, sagebrush-grass, and pinyon-juniper [15].

In addition to potentially affecting nest trees, fire may affect the
prey base and hunting efficiency of ferruginous hawks.  Many ferruginous
hawk prey species are affected by any disturbance that changes the
balance between understory cover and forage.  Regular burning helps to
keep habitats in a suitable condition for many prey species of the
ferruginous hawk and temporarily exposes the prey when cover is reduced
[14].  In the past, fires have contributed to the maintenance of
grasslands by retarding woody growth.  The exclusion of fire in this
ecosystem has resulted in encroachment of trees and shrubs which has had
a negative affect on the ferruginous hawk [15,21].  Ferruginous hawks
are favored by fires that reduce pinyon-juniper woodlands.  Removing
some of these trees enhances the prey base by improving habitat for
small mammals [10].  Additionally, fires may remove thickets that limit
the hunting efficiency of ferruginous hawks [14].  Low-severity fires
may thin nest trees and enhance hunting nearby.


FIRE USE : 
Prescribed fire can be benefical to ferruginous hawk populations by
providing an increased prey base of species that use burned areas
[3,10,14].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Buteo regalis | Ferruginous Hawk