FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Odocoileus virginianus | White-Tailed Deer 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Fast-moving fires can confuse, trap, and kill deer [4,8].


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
The effects of fire on whitetail habitat have been well documented.
Much of the literature reports in detail on the foraging behavior of
whitetails following fire.  In general, whitetails are seen foraging
more frequently on burned sites than adjacent unburned sites
[20,29,30,36].  Patchy burns that create a mosaic of browse and cover
are usually beneficial to whitetail populations [11,14,29,31,42,46].
Historically, logging followed by fire played a major role in the
westward expansion of the whitetail's range [9].  In many areas fire
suppression has led to a decrease in forage quality and subsequently
quantity as early seral communities are replaced with unpalatable browse
or browse that grows out of reach of deer [14,15,19].  Many studies have
reported an increase in plant nutrients following fire, most notably
potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and potash.  Crude fiber and protein
also tend to increase, as well as water and fat content
[11,20,21,32,35,36,44,49,53].  These nutrient increases tend to be
temporary, only lasting a few years before returning to preburn levels.

Lay [35,36] conducted several burning studies in the southern pine
forests of the United States.  He reported that in the South, browse
comprises less than half of whitetail diets; therefore, when burning,
careful consideration must be given to the fire effects on fruits and
mast, which are important whitetail food.  Thill and others [53]
reported that in the southern Coastal Plain, forage quality is a
limiting factor for whitetail populations, due to the heavily leached
acid soils.  Burning temporarily improves forage quality but reduces
foraging efficiency and the availability of fruits within the 1st year
after burning.

A study in northern Idaho showed that during January, March, and April,
whitetails chose to forage in unburned Douglas fir/ninebark (Pseudotsuga
menziesii/Physocarpus malvaceous) habitat types where the average
distance to cover was 4.5 feet (1.5 m) [29].  Ninebark is relatively
unpalatable to whitetails and is eaten more frequently on burned sites.
Burning these types may reduce their value to whitetails until cover
similar to that of the unburned sites is regenerated (3-4 years).
Redstem ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus), a highly valued deer forage,
increased dramatically after both spring and fall burning, with greater
increases after fall burning [46].  Burning jack pine (Pinus banksiana)
plantations in Nebraska resulted in a decrease of whitetails in the
burned areas due to a reduction in cover [58].


FIRE USE : 
Prescribed fire is a commonly used tool for whitetail habitat
improvement [9].  It can be used to maintain or prevent the development
of certain vegetation types and create a diversity of age classes to
provide forage and cover [52].  Prescribed fire can also be used to
reduce slash, which impedes deer movement, and to reduce duff in areas
where quick duff accumulation can prevent growth of understory forage
species [10].  Halls [21] recommended burning in late winter or early
spring to promote resprouting of vegetation in spring and summer.
Summer fires can reduce availability of forage important in fall and
winter.  He also stated that fires in southern pine forests should be
excluded until trees are 15 feet (4.6 m) tall and then burned at 3- to
5-year intervals to keep browse within reach.  Burning units should be
kept to 74 acres (30 ha) or less [28].  Lay [35] also suggested spring
burning in southern pine forests but stated that long-term results of
repeated burning are detrimental to forage species.  DeByle [10]
recommended burning aspen stands at 40- to 80-year intervals for optimum
deer habitat.  Units should be 10 to 40 acres (4-16 ha) to prevent
overbrowsing and should be maintained in varying age classes.

Armstrong [1] recommended burning every 7 to 10 years in the Edwards
Plateau Region of Texas.  He stated that reducing the whitetail
population by as much as 50 percent before burning would prevent
overbrowsing in postburn areas and would not be detrimental to the deer
population.  Merrill [42] suggested burning grand fir (Abies grandis)/
pachistima (Pachistima myrsinites) types during spring or fall every 10
years to rejuvenate decadent plants [42].

The Minnesota Department of Conservation listed five burning practices
for improving whitetail habitat in northern hardwood forests [9]:

(1)  Burn slash to remove it as an obstacle and prepare the seedbed.
(2)  Burn decadent aspen to provide browse for about 5 years.
(3)  Burn 10 to 20 acre (4-8 ha) patches adjacent to deer yards during
     dormant season to encourage shrub and hardwood tree sprouts.
(4)  Reburn small areas to maintain openings in forests.
(5)  Identify areas where wildfires could be left to burn.


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Odocoileus virginianus | White-Tailed Deer