FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Festuca arundinacea | Tall Fescue 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Tall fescue culms and leaves are probably killed by fire.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Tall fescue is fire tolerant in the dormant state [75].

In south-central Iowa tall fescue was burned to test the effectiveness
of spring fire in eliminating or suppressing cool-season grasses.  Plots
were within livestock exclosures constructed in 1984.  A baseline
inventory of plots was conducted in 1985; plot inventories were
conducted after treatments were completed in 1986, 1987, and 1988.  Tall
fescue was burned in late March or early April.  Some plots were
initially burned in 1986 and some in 1987.  In 1988 the plots burned in
1986 were burned again.  In 1986 tall fescue relative shoot frequency
increased significantly (p<.10) after fire in the same year; the
increase did not persist in subsequent years.  Fire had no significant
effect on tall fescue in any other year [54].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Tall fescue is not usually decreased by burning when it is dormant [54,75].

Related categories for Species: Festuca arundinacea | Tall Fescue