Prescribed Burns for Grassland Management at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

USFWS established the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) to research fire management with prescribed burns in semiarid grasslands at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR). The effect of prescribed burns and timing on organic matter, ammonium, and nitrate was measured. Results suggest that seasonality affects plant species productivity and composition, with spring burns leading to the greatest increase in forb cover. Prolonged drought affects post-fire grass recovery since grasses take a longer time to grow under reduced soil moisture – therefore, prescribed burns should be minimized during drought years. Funding for the project was provided by NSF and USDA.