FIRE CASE STUDIES
SPECIES: Festuca arundinacea | Tall Fescue 



CASE NAME : 
Mark Twain National Forest, MO/Prescr. Fire/Tall Fescue Response


REFERENCE : 
Probasco, G. E.; Bjugstad, A. J. 1977 [51]


SEASON/SEVERITY CLASSIFICATION : 
late winter (February)/moderate
early spring (April)/moderate
mid-summer (August)/moderate
late fall (November)/moderate


STUDY LOCATION : 
Prescribed fires were conducted on the Mark Twain Grazing Allotment on
the Ava Ranger District of the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri.


PREFIRE VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY : 
The prefire community was a uniform tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)
stand.


TARGET SPECIES PHENOLOGICAL STATE : 
Tall fescue was dormant at the time of the February fire.  It had just
broken dormancy at the time of the April fire.  Tall fescue was not
growing at the time of the August fire.  It was in the phase just before
initiation of dormancy at the time of the November fire.


SITE DESCRIPTION : 
Not given.


FIRE DESCRIPTION : 
Plots on a uniform tall fescue stand were burned at four different
times; a no-burn control was associated with each burning treatment.
The control plot was mowed each time burning was done, so that burned
and unburned stands could be compared.  The burning times were selected
to coincide with periods when both damage to tall fescue vegetation and
the time required for regrowth and return to grazing would be minimal.
Maximum fire temperatures were estimated by means of thermal sensors
placed 1 inch (2.5 cm) below soil surface, at soil surface, and 2 inches
(5 cm), 6 inches (15 cm), and 24 inches (61 cm) above soil surface.  The
sensors set below the soil surface were unaffected by the fires.  The
fires produced consistently higher maximum temperatures at the mid-range
height of 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm) than at other vertical locations.
Maximum temperatures varied at the upper and lower heights; higher
temperatures occurred at lower heights early in the year and at upper
heights late in the year.


FIRE EFFECTS ON TARGET SPECIES : 
Forage yields were measured on twenty 4.8 square foot (0.45 sq m)
quadrats on each plot during June and October of the year following
burning.  There were no significant differences (p<.10) in forage yields
after burning among the four fire treatments considered individually.
However, when burning during the inactive (late winter and mid-summer)
periods was compared with burning during active growth (early spring and
late fall), there was a significant difference (p<.10).  Burning during
dormant seasons produced yields similar to those on unburned plots.
Burning during active growth produced lower yields than burning on
dormant plots.  Tall fescue seedstalk numbers were stimulated by the
mid-summer fire.  Tall fescue forage yields and seedstalk production
following fire treatments were as follows:

     Burning Season      Pounds/Acre      Seedstalks/Sq Foot

      Late Winter          2,856a              20f
      Early Spring         2,406a               8g
      Mid-summer           3,312a              31h
      Late Fall            2,651a              22f
      No Burn              2,893a              16i

      Active Growth        2,529b (early spring and late fall)
      Inactive Period      3,083c (late winter and midsummer) 

Note:  Means followed by "a" were not significantly different at p<.05.
       Means followed by "b" and "c" were significantly different at p<.10.
       Means followed by "f" through "i" were significantly different at
         p<.05 if the letters differ.


FIRE MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS : 
After 1 year of study it appears that when burning only for tall fescue
stand maintenance, fire should be applied during a dormant or inactive
period, either late winter or mid-summer.  To increase tall fescue seed
production, fire should be applied in mid-summer.

Related categories for Species: Festuca arundinacea | Tall Fescue