Effect of a Prescribed Fire on Herbage Production in Southwestern Ponderosa Pine on Sedimentary Soils

摘要

An area burned by prescription in 1977 and a nearby unburned area were measured in 1974 and 1980 to determine effects of the burn on herbage and forage production. Herbage production on the burned area increased significantly in 1980 over its 1974 level, in addition to being greater than the 1980 control production. However, the proportion of forage production to total herbage production in 1980 on the burned area decreased after the burn, and was significantly less than the control area forage production. This reduction in forage production can be attributed to the increase of nonforage species, notably bracken fern. Increases in total herbage production on both burned and unburned areas between 1974 and 1980 are attributed to a number of factors, including increased soil moisture availability during the 1980 growing season which had 50 percent more precipitation than the historical average. FOREST ScI. 30:22--25.