FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Bubo virginianus | Great Horned Owl 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Direct impacts of fire on great horned owls include loss of nestlings,
nest trees, roost sites, and foraging areas; severe fire can result in
local loss of preferred habitat [29].  Great horned owl populations are
probably minimally affected by even large fires, as this owl has
nonspecific habitat requirements and moves to unaffected sites.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
The effects of fire on prey species are probably the most important
habitat related fire effects on great horned owls.  Prey availability is
often enhanced by removal of surface cover.  Decreases in prey
populations after fire probably result in lowered nesting success or
even a change in residency for great horned owls.  In California, great
horned owl density was high following a fire in chaparral, but
reproductive success decreased later, possibly because loss of habitat
concentrated raptors into a smaller area and led to increased
competition for prey [42].


FIRE USE : 
Great horned owls use but are not limited to the following fire
dependent ecosystems:  

                Presettlement Fire Regime
______________________________________________________________
  Habitat                           Average Fire-Free Interval

  grasslands                               1-5 years
  semidesert grass-shrub                   up to 10 years
  sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-grass         20-100 years
  chaparral                                20-40 years 
  pinyon-juniper                           10-30 years
  ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)         5-10 years
  Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)      100-500 years 
  redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)           17-82 years
  giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron gigantea)  5-10 years

Fire exclusion has had more detrimental effects than benefits on raptor
habitat.  Prescribed fire in raptor habitats usually does not conflict
with raptor habitat objectives and can in many cases be beneficial [29].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Bubo virginianus | Great Horned Owl