Fire-dependent communities are declining worldwide due to fire suppression and land development, reducing biodiversity. Open pine barren and savannah ecosystems (‘pine barrens’ hereafter) are a classic example of fire-dependent ecosystem that has been affected adversely by decades of fire suppression. Specifically, the loss of fire-adapted forbs and grasses reduce plant diversity and habitat for co-evolved wildlife and, paired with high tree density, represent altered, hazardous fuel loads. However, there is little published information on management approaches for restoring fire dynamics and…
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Restoration of fire-dependent pine barren ecosystems in northern Wisconsin – Bridging the gap between research and management practices.
Fire-dependent communities are declining worldwide due to fire suppression and land development, reducing biodiversity. Open pine barren and savannah ecosystems (‘pine barrens’ hereafter) are a classic example of fire-dependent ecosystem that has been affected adversely by decades of fire suppression. Specifically, the loss of…