Prescribed Burning of a Festuca-Stipa Grassland

Abstract

The Festuca-Stipa grassland community was found to be well adapted to surviving a single prescribed burn. Coverage of rough fescue was reduced from one to three growing seasons after fire depending upon season burned and stage of growth. Spring burning benefited the production of seed heads in western porcupine grass but fall burning reduced its cover and production of seed heads. Annual herbage production was neither increased nor decreased if burning occurred when plants were dormant. Species composition shifted in favour of perennial forbs for at least 3 years after a burn.