The Only Organization Working Exclusively to Conserve and Restore
California's Native Grasslands
Grasslands and Fire
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"Take half, leave half" standard for defoliation by grazing and for fire breaks to lower impact to below-ground roots, nutrient-cycling, and regrowth of plants, especially our remaining and very important native plants, is supported by this paper.
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Sonoma County Wildfire Fuel Mapper Maps, resources, and information to help Sonoma County residents and land managers reduce fire fuel hazard. The Wildfire Fuel Mapper provides publicly accessible, parcel-scale mapping and tools for landowners to reduce wildfire risks on their own property. Made in collaboration between University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Pepperwood and Tukman Geospatial. |
In this issue:
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Burning by the Day: Why cost/acre is not a good metric for prescribed fire, by Lenya Quinn-Davison and Jeffery Stackhouse, Grasslands, Vol 29, No. 3:16-19. Summer 2019.
Field Report: Building a burn trailer to support your community's prescribed fire efforts, by Lenya Quinn-Davison and Jeffery Stackhouse, Grasslands, Vol 29, No. 3:20-22.. Summer 2019.
Use of Fire as a Tool for Controlling Invasive Plants. 2006.California Invasive Plant Council. By Joseph M. DiTomaso, Matthew L. Brooks, Edith B. Allen, and Ralph Minnich. Edited by Joseph M. DiTomaso and Douglas W. Johnson
This report captures the current state of knowledge on the use of fire to manage invasive plants in wildlands, so that better information can facilitate improved decision making when considering the use of prescribed burning for the management of invasive plants.
Assessment of prescribed fire as a conservation practice. Pages 75–104 in D. D. Briske, editor. Conservation benefits of rangeland practices: assessment, recommendations, and knowledge gaps. US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Wildland Fire Training 2020 UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Video of prescribed campus and regional fire department training at UC Davis Russell Ranch Watch video on YouTube | Prescribed Fire Webinar Series – 5 videos. UCCE Mariposa YouTube. Last updated on June 4, 2020 Webinar resources. http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Fire_Information/Events/Workshop_Resources/ Training for landowners interested in using prescribed fire. July 13, 2020. Morning Ag Clips. Trainings are available for free on the UCCE Mariposa YouTube Channel. |
What to Do After Wildfire
Probably the most frequently asked question is what species to plant for erosion control after fire. But first you should determine whether seeding is necessary.
The California Native Plant Society does not recommend seeding after wildfire.We recommend reading these resources from CNPS
- CNPS policy on seeding after wildfire. December 2, 1995.
- CNPS Fire Recovery Guide. 2018
Don't assume that all native plants have been destroyed on your land.
- Native perennials will usually recover after a fire unless it is severe.
- Fire often brings out a post-fire bloom of herbaceous plants called "fire followers."
If native plants are absent or struggling, this may be a great opportunity to create a native meadow on your land.
Hedgerow Farms in Winters has developed native seed mixes, Recommended California Native Seed Mixes Available for Post Fire Seeding in Sonoma County, for post-fire erosion control.
Harmony Farm Supply in Sebastopol has two seed mixes: https://www.harmonyfarm.com/native-california-wildflower-seed-mix/
Learn More about Fire in California
Dass, Pawlok, Benjanim Z Houlton, Yingping Want and David Warlind. 2018. Grasslands more reliable carbon sink than trees. Environmental Research Letters, Volume 13, Number 7. PDF.
Stuart Wagenius, Jared Beck, and Gretel Kiefer. 2020. Fire synchronizes flowering and boosts reproduction in a widespread but declining prairie species. PNAS. January 27, 2020. From the Echinacea Project. Science Daily Interview with Author
Fire Science and Ecology, University of California Cooperative Extension