K-12 Education

Management of Sand Sagebrush Rangelands

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A new fact sheet for managing sand sagebrush in rangeland is available from Oklahoma State University. There is a nice section about fire; take a look.

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Patch Burn Grazing to Manage Fuels, Igniton, and Wildfire Spread

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This fact sheet describes the use of patch burn grazing (PBG) to alter fuel structure and continuity. Burning in this manner has the potential to slow the spread of fire, thus decreasing wildfire risk.

2013-20

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Planning a Prescribed Burn

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If you are considering burning rangeland for the first time, you may think that a detailed planning process seems largely unnecessary. You may be thinking:

“I’ll wait until after frost and burn out the southwest 40 acres of the back pasture. If I burn when there’s no wind, I won’t need any help. I can drive the cows to the other side of the Section Pasture and shoot a gun a few times to scare out the deer so they won’t burn up. And the belly-high broomweeds should burn hot enough to kill most of the mesquite, whitebrush, and prickly pear.”

Wait a minute—this thinking contains at least eight misconceptions, including those dealing with timing, wind, help, fuel, expected brush kill, grazing management, the size of the burn, and its impact on wildlife habitat. If you burned using this plan, you would probably never burn rangeland again on purpose because of the risks taken and the potential for disappointing results.

Effective planning well in advance is vital for achieving the beneficial effects of a prescribed burn. The elements of a plan are described in Extension publication E-37, Prescribed Range Burning in Texas, which is available from your county Extension agent or on the web at http://agrilifebookstore.org.

This publication from Texas A&M Agrilife Extension contains more information and a checklist to use when planning a prescribed burn.

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Prescribed fire considerations for amphibians and reptiles

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It is well-known that fire has historically played an important role in creating and maintaining ecosystems in the Midwest. In landscapes where fire has been suppressed or where invasive and exotic plant species have taken hold, prescribed fire is a useful tool for restoring native plant communities.

This management technique can be valuable for increasing suitable habitat for some herpetofauna. However, there is a growing body of evidence that it may also be damaging to resident populations of reptiles and amphibians. When planning prescribed fires, habitat managers should consider the needs of all parts of existing floral and faunal communities. Maintenance of native animal populations, particularly vulnerable, rare, or threatened species, deserve as much attention as the manipulation of plant communities toward a predetermined goal. To assist land managers concerned about the impacts of fire on herpetofauna, the Midwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) provide the following recommendations to promote effective use of prescribed fire in ecosystem restoration.

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Demonstrating Prescribed Fire: Hay Bales

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Watch this video to see a demonstration using hay bales to show how prescribed fires are conducted.

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Small scale demonstration burns

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This fact sheet is a description of small burn demonstrations that can be developed for teaching students about fire. With a sandbox, show arena, and some dry hay, Dave Redden developed this method for reaching school children and 4-H members.

2014-02

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Texas Outdoor Burning Rules: Wind Speed

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The linked fact sheet helps to clarify the various ways that wind speed is measured. Texas regulations for wind speed are also described

2014-14

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Remote Wildland Fire Monitor

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For years, fire department administrators have struggled to find an alternative to having firefighters ride on the outside of a moving vehicle to spray wild fires.

Using a remote control nozzle is one alternative. Following research and design, the Kansas Forest Service Fire Shop has produced the first Kansas Forest Service remote wildland fire monitor. Its components are readily available and inexpensive.

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How to use the NOAA site to look up fire weather

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Integrated management of eastern redcedar

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Integrated management of eastern redcedar on pasture and grasslands should be based on a combination of cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical tools to keep this tree from continuing to spread while protecting grassland production and profits. Tree height should be used as a determining factor for control options. Burning, cutting, digging, mowing, use of goats and broadcast herbicide application are effective on trees up to 2 feet tall. Cutting and individual tree herbicide treatments work well on eastern redcedar 2-10 feet tall. Trees over 10 feet in height are most effectively and economically controlled by cutting. The bottom line is “control trees while they are small.”

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