FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Dendroica kirtlandii | Kirtland's Warbler 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
A ground fire during the nesting season could destroy Kirtland's warbler
nests. However, fires in these jack pine communities are more likely to
occur later in the summer or in the fall, when the groundcover has
become crisp and dry [15].


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Under natural conditions, the nesting habitat required by the Kirtland's
warbler is created only by forest fires.  Jack pine is a fire species.
Heat is required to open the cones releasing the seed [17].  If the fire
is too intense, jack pine seeds fail to germinate.  If the fire is
followed by a period of drought, the seeds also fail to germinate.  The
warblers start utilizing the burn area about postfire year 6.  Habitat
utilization in naturally burned areas generally reaches a peak 11 to 17
years following the fire.  After this time the area is usually not used
by the Kirtland's warbler [22].  During the first half of the century,
fire suppression almost led to the Kirtland's warbler extinction because
the jack pines aged beyond the birds' narrow ecological requirements
[8].


FIRE USE : 
A series of wildfires occurred in the spring of 1946 near Mack Lake,
Michigan.  These fires created much of the suitable habitat for the
Kirtland's warbler during the 1950's and 1960's.  Today, few wildfires
are allowed to reach a size large enough to develop productive
Kirtland's warbler habitat.  Therefore, to create suitable nesting
habitat for this warbler requires a prescribed fire along with special
planting techniques [17].  Since 1964 the United States Forest Service
has conducted prescribed burning in Kirtland's warbler management areas
on the Huron National Forest, Michigan [8].  Mature stands of jack pine
are whole-tree logged.  The entire bole of the tree is skidded out and
the slash is burned.  After burning, the area is hand or machine planted
with jack pine seedlings [3].  To create a perpetual supply of
young-growth jack pine, these fires are conducted in a 1 square mile
(2.6 sq km) area every 5 years [14].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Dendroica kirtlandii | Kirtland's Warbler