FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Picoides borealis | Red-Cockaded Woodpecker 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Adult red-cockaded woodpeckers can probably easily escape fire.
However, fire at night may trap some birds in cavities [5].  Cavity
trees are very vulnerable to fire because of the highly flammmable resin
that flows from the resin wells [8].  Wildfires in areas with heavy
understory fuels could kill cavity trees used for nesting and roosting
[33].  Cavities in large pines are frequently abandoned following
enlargement by fire [16]. Artifical cavities placed 20 to 30 feet (6-9
m) above the ground may be better protected from fire than lower ones
[53].


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Despite the vulnerability of cavity trees, fire plays an integral role
in maintaining habitat both for colony sites and foraging [22,41].
Virtually all southern pine ecosystems evolved under a regime of
frequent fires.  Longleaf pine habitats of the past were likely
maintained by "periodic hot summer fires."  In areas with less frequent
fire, red-cockaded woodpeckers habitat occurred on steep slopes.  There,
hardwoods did not reach the lower branches of some pines, and pine
regeneration could occur [23].  Without fire, pines are replaced by fire
intolerant hardwoods [10,23].  Fire helps to reclaim or maintain the
open woodlands preferred by red-cockaded woodpeckers for both foraging
and nesting [41].  Fire helps to maintain low midstories [22,33].
Elimination or extensive suppression of fire from red-cockaded
woodpecker habitat could result in habitat abandonment by red-cockaded
woodpeckers [23].


FIRE USE : 
Prescribed fire is an important tool in manageing southern pine
ecosystems for red-cockaded woodpeckers [10,41,43,46,].  Periodic
prescribed fire may be the only practical tool for preventing hardwoods
from growing into the midstory and allowing red-cockaded woodpecker
colonies can persist for several generations [22,43].  The maintenance
of an open pine forest generally requires prescribed burning at 3-year
intervals [24], although fire may be needed less frequently in areas
away from coastal plains [23].

Southern pine beetles have caused extensive tree mortality in
red-cockaded woodpecker habitat.  Problems with beetles can be greatly
reduced if fire is restored because trees are more vigorous and more
widely spaced [23].  Mortality from southern pine beetles increases with
stand density [55].

Summer headfires have long flames that may take out most of the pine
understory but have the potential to ignite the overstory crowns.  This
type of prescribed fire can be used to eradicate the pine understory for
red-cockaded woodpecker habitat improvement [54].  Conner and Locke [7]
made the following recommendations for prescribed burning in colony
sites:  (1) plow a fireline 197 feet (60 m) from the edges of colony
sites and burn colony sites separately, (2) rake fuel at least 10 feet
(3 m) away from the bases of trees with abundant resin, (3) keep fire
suppression equipment available, (4) burn colony sites with backfires at
least every 3 years to prevent excessive fuel accumulations.  When
burning in longleaf pine-turkey oak (Quercus laevis)/wiregrass (Aristida
stricta) communities during the breeding season, Stamps and others [41]
gave the following precautions:  (1) burn early in the day while ambient
temperatures are relatively low, (2) burn only in sites with light fuel
accumulations, (3) backfire 33 feet (10 m) to the windward side of
cavity trees before allowing headfire to approach, (4) burn in colony
sites only after nests have been identified, and (5) remove woody
vegetation from around cavity trees.  They also stated that when burning
in plant communities with potential for severe fire, it may be necessary
to use additional protective measures recommended by Conner and Locke [7].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Picoides borealis | Red-Cockaded Woodpecker