FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Odocoileus hemionus | Mule Deer 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Although uncommon, mule deer can be trapped and killed by fast-moving
fires [9,21].


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
The effects of fire on mule deer habitat are widely varied and well
documented in the literature.  In general, fires that create mosaics of
forage and cover are beneficial.  Deer seem to prefer foraging in burned
compared to unburned areas, although preference may vary seasonally
[4,12,13,23,24,25,28,58].  This preference may indicate an increase in
plant nutrients which usually occurs following fire [2,22,43].  Hobbs
and Spowart [22] warned about making conclusions regarding the benefits
of fire based on forage studies alone.  Their study of fire on nutrition
in Colorado revealed increases in the quality of deer diets due to
changes in forage selection--not increases in nutrients of previously
selected forage.

Burning in grassland communities reduces litter that otherwise inhibits
new growth of grasses.  Fire rejuvenates and improves these grasslands,
which are important winter range in some areas [23,58].  Burning
sagebrush communities can result in significant increases of herbaceous
plants by reducing decadent sagebrush that outcompetes more nutritious
and palatable species [44,47].  However, in areas where sagebrush is the
only cover, its complete removal can be detrimental to mule deer
populations [47].

Antelope bitterbrush is a highly preferred browse species on some mule
deer winter ranges and is sensitive to burning [17,50].  Burned
bitterbrush takes longer to recover than bitterbrush disturbed by other
means [50].  Burned bitterbrush grows slower, is less dense, and plants
are smaller than unburned specimens.  Bitterbrush responds variably to
fire intensity, temperature, and season [17].  Late summer fires in
Idaho killed two-thirds of the bitterbrush, while a moderate-intensity
spring fire in Montana killed one-third.  A summer fire of moderate
intensity in Oregon destroyed the entire stand of bitterbrush [17].

Shrubs and forbs in pinyon (Pinus spp.)-juniper (Juniperus spp.)
communities tend to increase the first few years following fire,
providing valuable browse [6,37].  Mule deer seem to use these areas
more after 15 years [37,45].  Stager and Klebenow [45] reported that the
beneficial effects of fire for mule deer in pinyon-juniper stands can
last as long as 115 years.  However, Bunting [7] concluded that burning
of these stands becomes increasingly difficult as stands grow older
because fine fuels in the understory are reduced.  He stated that
burning should take place at early successional stages and at intervals
based on the fire tolerance of desirable forage species.  Everett [14]
warned that preburn conditions in pinyon-juniper stands will most likely
determine the postfire plant composition.  If perennial shrubs are
present before a burn, they will come back following fire.  If no shrubs
are present, perennial grasses will develop [6].


FIRE USE : 
Fire can be used to stimulate browse, create openings in dense,
inaccessible plant communities, and reduce slash, as well as increase
nutrient content and palatability of forage [11,17,38].  Gruell [17]
listed several factors that influence postfire plant composition,
including the severity, size, and season of the burn, fuel type,
postburn foraging intensity, and the preburn plant community
composition.  He stated that surface fires of moderate intensity
following thinning or selection cuts can improve Douglas-fir or
ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests for mule deer by promoting
regeneration of crown-sprouting shrubs and preparing the seedbed for
herbs and shrubs.  A mosaic of seral stages is best for mule deer [17].

In areas where chaparral adjoins oak woodlands, prescribed burns can
create access through the chaparral to the understory forage of the oak
woodlands [28].  Biswell [4] recommended burning chaparral every 30
years to create a mosaic of young stands.  Late summer or early fall
burning promotes the highest seed crop for most species in these plant
communities.  Wallmo and others [55] listed several recommendations for
burning chaparral communities to improve mule deer habitat.

Fire can control pinyon-juniper woodlands by maintaining them in a
subclimax state [6].  Small burns are more beneficial than large burns
to mule deer because they tend to use burned areas close to cover.  The
optimum width for burns in these communities may be less than 0.25 mile
(0.4 km) [6].  To maintain forage in bunchgrass communities, burning at
4- to 6-year intervals in winter or early spring is recommended [23].

Burning can control sagebrush in areas where it has dominated grasslands
and reduced deer forage [47].  Where Gambel oak grows thick and
impenetrable, fire can open stands and provide valuable winter range for
mule deer [32].  Kufeld [31] recommended burning Gambel oak in autumn
during or immediately following leaf fall and building fire breaks 26
feet wide (8 m) around the areas to be burned.  Because Gambel oak
recovers quickly following fire, particularly at low elevations where
mule deer winter, its growth must be monitored and retarded to improve
mule deer habitat [32].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Odocoileus hemionus | Mule Deer