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Sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) is a dominant shrub on sandy soils throughout the Great Plains and Southwest. Sand sagebrush is reported to reduce wind erosion and provides valuable forage and cover to numerous wildlife species. However, the fire ecology of sand sagebrush is not well understood. Our objectives were to evaluate fire-induced mortality, occurrence of resprouting, and changes in sand sagebrush canopy structure and total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) following fall and spring prescribed burns. We selected twelve 4-ha plots on sand sagebrush-dominated sites in high-seral sand sagebrush-mixed prairie near Woodward, OK. Four plots were burned during fall, four were burned during spring, and four served as controls. Soil temperature and soil water content were monitored. About 93 percent of burned shrubs resprouted and TNC was similar across burning treatments. Canopy volume in May was reduced 87 and 99 percent by fall and spring burns, respectively. Fall burning had no effect on soil water content and elevated soil temperature only during April and May. Spring-burned plots had greater soil water content and higher soil temperatures than control plots in May.
Cataloging Information
- Ambrosia psilostachya
- Andropogon hallii
- Artemisia filifolia
- Bouteloua curtipendula
- bunchgrass
- cover
- Cuman ragweed
- Eragrostis trichodes
- erosion
- fire injuries (plants)
- fire management
- forage
- forbs
- game birds
- genetics
- Great Plains
- little bluestem
- mortality
- nesting cover
- Oklahoma
- overstory
- pioneer species
- prairie chicken
- prairies
- range management
- resprouting
- sand lovegrass
- sand sagebrush
- sandhills
- Schizachyrium scoparium
- season of fire
- seedlings
- shrublands
- shrubs
- sideoats grama
- soil moisture
- soil temperature
- soils
- Tympanuchus
- water
- wildlife
- wind
- woody plants
This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.