Abstract
Objective: Our objective was to examine the effects of late-summer prescribed fire on the frequency and basal cover of Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii), soil cover, botanical composition, and forage production in the Kansas Smoky Hills.
Study Description: Eighteen one-acre plots located in a Caucasian bluestem-infested pasture in Ellsworth County, Kansas, were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: no burn (control), one burn (August 14, 2019), and two burns (August 14, 2019, and August 11, 2021). Pre-treatment data were collected in 2019 (year one); measurements of soil cover, botanical composition, forage production, and Caucasian bluestem frequency and basal cover were taken each year thereafter.
The Bottom Line: These data suggest that regular application of late-summer prescribed fire may reduce Caucasian bluestem basal cover while having no negative consequences on native species and improving overall grass-species richness.
Keywords: basal cover, late-summer prescribed fire, old-world bluestem
How to Cite:
Giefer, H. P., Harmoney, K. R., Ramirez, M. P., Tajchman, A. J., Duncan, Z. M., Lemmon, J. & Olson, K. C., (2025) “Effects of Late-Summer Prescribed Fire on Botanical Composition, Soil Cover, and Forage Production in Caucasian Bluestem-Infested Rangeland in the Kansas Smoky Hills: Final Report”, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 11(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8661
Downloads:
Download PDF
0 Views
0 Downloads