NORTHERN PIEDMONT FIRE

What is a prescribed burn?

Prescribed burning is the control application of fire to the land, used to accomplish a specific conservation or land management goal.

What are our goals with using fire as a management tool?

The goal of the Northern Piedmont"s fire management program is to utilize prescribed fires safely in a manner that perpetuates and enhances desired plant communities and provide training for crew personnel. We promote native meadow, barren, woodland plant species in order to protect species of concern and increase the diversity of native plants and while providing the habitat needed for particular birds and other animals.

Why fire? - Ecological Rationale

            Fire has played an important part in shaping local plant and animal communities for thousands of years. Fire was a frequent occurrence within woodlands (following major perturbations such as wind events or insect defoliation) and on the open barrens (serpentine, pine) scattered throughout the region. Before land was settled by Europeans, wildfires set by lightning and or Native Americans were frequent and unchecked. Native Americans used fire for numerous reasons including to drive game, to rejuvenate food resources such as berry patches and pasture (for game species) frequently augmented these natural occurrences.

            Today, of course, fires are put out. Fire suppression over the last century has modified the plant composition of both forest and barren communities.  Eastern forests are now in transition from an oak-hickory dominated canopy to a fire-sensitive maple, beech, and poplar canopy.  Oaks, hickories and a few other trees grow a thick bark that protects them from fire.

            On the barrens the lack of fire has resulted in the buildup of organic duff over the soil and invasion by woody vegetation. These conditions decrease the viability of plant species adapted to the mineral soil and full sunlight conditions maintained by periodic fires.

            At the same time maintaining abandoned agricultural land as native warm-season grass and wildflower meadows has become very problematic due to the growing presence of exotic, invasive vegetation. Left unchecked, invasive such as thistle, multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese honeysuckle usurps the native grasses and wildflowers that can tolerate periodic fires. Through displacement of native vegetation, invasives homogenize the structural and food resources of the site, thereby reducing the habitat value for native fauna.

Animal, too, are adapted to fire, with many simply leaving the area during a fire. Our spring burns ends before the birds begin nesting each year. In fact, some wildlife depends on fire for to help in creating an additional food source and with nesting areas such as cavities in trees made by the fire.