FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Phasianus colchicus | Ring-Necked Pheasant 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Fires in ring-necked pheasant habitat during the nesting season can
destroy ring-necked pheasant nests, eggs, and broods [19].  During an
April 17 wildfire in mixed growth of herbaceous and woody plants in
Castalia, Ohio, several ring-necked pheasant nests and eggs were
destroyed [41].  In Nebraska, Erwin and Stasiak [19] reported that 38
ring-necked pheasant nests containing a total of 336 eggs were destroyed
in a native grassland by an early spring prescribed fire.  The authors
did not mention if any nests survived the fire.  Adult ring-necked
pheasants reacted to the fire by flying from the grass only after the
fire had approached to within a few meters.  Several times ring-necked
pheasants were observed flying through flames that at times reached 16
to 23 feet (5-7 m) in length.  An adult ring-necked pheasant hen flew
through the flames and landed in the smoking ashes just behind the fire
line.  She did not appear to be injured [19].


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Ring-necked pheasants may be both positively and negatively affected by
fire occurring in their habitat.  The effect of fire on ring-necked
pheasants during the first postfire year is generally negative if
valuable cover is destroyed and alternate cover is not available
[27,32,45].  However, fire is an important factor in creating and
maintaining ring-necked pheasant habitat and often has a positive effect
over the long term [27,32,34].

Short-term effects - Scattered patches of tall, dense (undisturbed)
cover are important for ring-necked pheasant survival [62].  Spring
burning of grain stubble, irrigation ditchbanks, barrow pits, railroad
rights-of-way, and agriculturally idle areas removes important nesting
cover for that year.  Removal of herbaceous cover in abandoned fields or
along fencerows destroys crowing territories, nesting sites, and
general escape cover for ring-necked pheasants both in summer and winter
[45].  Fall burning of grain stubble destroys protective foraging cover
[60].  

Marsh vegetation may provide the only early nesting cover in some areas.
Burning of marshes just prior to the nesting season is especially
harmful to ring-necked pheasants [45].

Remnant tracts of sagebrush in southern Idaho provide important winter
loafing and escape cover for ring-necked pheasants.  Fire may cause
sagebrush to revert to grasslands that do not provide ring-necked
pheasant winter habitat, and it may take 15 to 20 years for a useful
shrub component to reestablish in a dryland setting [42].

Long-term effects - Although ring-necked pheasants may be negatively
affected by fire the first postfire year, periodic disturbance of stands
is desirable and often essential to maintain ring-necked pheasant
habitat.  To provide residual grass-forb cover, suitable areas of cover
must be established and then the stand must be "rejuvenated" every few
years by fire or other disturbance [21].

On the Rathbun Wildlife Area in south-central Iowa, there was a marked
decline in available nesting cover for ring-necked pheasants immediately
following a spring prescribed fire.  The quality of nesting cover then
gradually improved in subsequent years until it reached or exceeded
prefire and control levels.  In addition to altering species composition
and improving plant vigor, prescribed burning removed accumulated litter
resulting in an overall improvement of nesting cover.  Following a July
prescribed fire, brood and renesting cover were reduced.  Brood cover
seemed to show rapid improvement due to the rapid growth of
canopy-forming forbs such as common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
and goldenrod (Solidago spp.).  Nesting cover improved gradually in
ensuing years [27].


FIRE USE : 
Prescribed burning can be used to maintain ring-necked pheasant habitat
[3,62].  In some areas, prescribed burning to improve sharp-tailed
grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) habitat has also improved habitat for
ring-necked pheasants [6,59].  Cover must always be available for
nesting, brood-rearing, loafing, and roosting.  If ring-necked pheasant
habitat is burned, alternate cover must be available.  Westmeier [62]
suggests the following 3-year management rotation for ring-necked
pheasant habitat in Illinois:  

first year - no disturbance
second year- March fire (possibly followed by July haying or light grazing)
third year - light grazing, rotary mowing, or seed harvesting (by combine) in
  late summer or fall.


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Phasianus colchicus | Ring-Necked Pheasant