FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Cervis elaphus | Elk 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Young calves can be trapped and killed by fire, although losses are
probably not significant [25].


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
Following fire most preferred elk forage species are enhanced by an
increase in nutrients [2,14,27,43].  Many studies, however, conclude
that an increase in quantity of forage is more significant than an
increase in quality [3,10,11,12,13,22,24,28,31].  Site preference
studies show that elk usually prefer to graze on burned as opposed to
unburned sites [10,11,27,31,32,43].  Spring and fall prescribed burning
in Montana on rough fescue (Festuca scabrella)-bluebunch wheatgrass
(Pseudoroegneria spicatum) winter range killed rough fescue.  Mortality
of rough fescue was attributed to too much litter, which caused
prolonged burning near the stem base.  Burning did not negatively affect
Idaho fescue (F. idahoensis) or bluebunch wheatgrass.  Burning in
Pacific bunchgrass foothill ranges in Washington did not increase winter
elk use but did reduce litter, which encouraged early spring green-up
[45].  Grazing can reduce fuel buildup in grasslands, thereby decreasing
the ability of a range to carry fire [44].  Fire in a Southwestern
ponderosa pine forest increased forbs, grasses, and shrubs, created
edge, and provided snags for cover.  Elk increased in the burn, reaching
a peak 7 years after fire when grasses were most abundant [31].

Fire improves the quality of forage under aspen stands [10,11,14,22].
Canon [10] cited several studies on fire effects in aspen communities.
Fire regenerates decadent aspen stands, opens the understory, increases
forbs and grasses by reducing shrubs, and increases aspen suckering,
which may provide enough browse to compensate for overgrazing [22].
Leege [27,28] conducted several burns in the Lochsa River drainage of
Idaho.  Repeated burning of brushfields in the grand fir (Abies
grandis)-pachistima (Pachistima myrsinites) type produced sprouting in
all shrubs except bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata), which is not a
preferred browse.  Leege [28] concluded that burns at 5-year intervals
would be more beneficial in maintaining adequate quality and quantity of
browse than the recommended 10- to 15-year intervals for grand
fir-pachistima types.  Merrill [39] reported that common snowberry
(Symphoricarpos alba) on dry slopes will not respond as well to fire as
taller shrubs on moist sites, but burning common snowberry every 10
years will rejuvenate decadent plants.


FIRE USE : 
Prescribed fire is used routinely to creat or enhance elk habitat in
many Western states.  Historical evidence shows that early Native
Americans used fire to attract ungulates [38].  Fire can be used to
rejuvenate aspen stands, encourage early spring green-up of grasslands
by reducing litter, slow or prevent conifer dominance in important
foraging areas, increase palatability of foods, reduce the height of
browse species, and stimulate regeneration through sprouting or heat
scarification of seed [24,28,49].  In Glacier National Park fires
increased carrying capacity on winter range by creating a mosaic of
thermal and hiding comver and forage areas [37].  Prescribed burns in
the Lochsa River drainage of Idaho, produced the best results when
conducted from the end of March until mid May [27,30].  Hot summer fires
are needed to germinate redstem ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus), an
important forage species [49].

Where elk forage heavily in aspen stands, large areas should be burned
to reduce grazing pressure by encouraging elk to disperse [6].  Also,
burning several small units nearby will improve elk dispersal and lessen
grazing impact.  Kramp and others [25] reported that elk prefer burns
less than 8.6 acres (3.5 ha), and use of burns decreased with an
increase in distance to cover.  Standing dead trees may provide adequate
cover within burns [12,13].  Burning in bunchgrass communities on the
front range of the Northern Rocky Mountains is not advisable in fall due
to soil erosion by high winds [24].  If ranges have much litter, burning
is recommended in years with normal or above normal precipitation.  In
rough fescue grasslands burning should be done soon after spring snow
melt to prevent a possible 3 year reduction of rough fescue [24].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Cervis elaphus | Elk