Controlled Burn Prep & Planning
Controlled Burn Prep & Planning
Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois
Did you know that fires historically took place every 2-4 years on Wisconsin landscapes? In fact, most of our endangered ecosystems are fire dependent. Many people perceive fire as a negative when in truth, burning provides a rejuvenating disturbance regime to natural landscapes.
In our current culture, when people think of fires, they think of raging wildfires that pose threats to structures and life. When managing ecosystems with fire, we refer to controlled and prescribed burns. Several precautions are taken to ensure burns only occur in the prescribed area and are unable to leave the containment zone. Prior to a controlled burn, the site is manipulated by removing ladder fuels and establishing burn breaks along the perimeter. During the burn, the area is staged with fire control equipment and staff to monitor the fire.
Ecological Benefits of Fire
Prescribed fire allows for an ecosystem to be reset. It plays an important role in nutrient cycling. After burning, essential nutrients become more available for plant growth. Fire often burns unevenly, creating heterogeneity within the landscape. This means a mosaic of microhabitats that are vital to quality wildlife habitat. Spring burns damage invasive, cool-season plants and allow for quicker radiative heating of the soil, which favors native plant species.
In a constantly developing world, new invasive plant species continue to arise. Whether in a woodland or in a grassland, invasive plants crowd out natives and alter the ecology of the land. In Wisconsin, there are over 60 invasive plant species. A few of these plants include common buckthorn, Eurasian bush honeysuckle, garlic mustard, phragmites, and reed canary grass. Many of these invasives can be controlled with the aid of fire.
To stop the spread of invasive brush and upland plants, management techniques such as forestry mowing, and herbicide applications can be utilized. Forestry mowing is a cost-effective way to remove and control invasive brush, small trees, and large herbaceous plants without the need for hauling and burning piles of cuttings. After mowing, follow-up applications with selective herbicides prevent the regrowth of invasive plants.
Cason Land & Water Management, LLC offers the tools and expertise for controlling upland invasive plant species and restoring woodlands and grasslands. We target invasive plant communities with integrated, adaptive management plans. Other companies that offer forestry mowing operations seldom offer follow-up herbicide treatments or have the expertise to distinguish quality plants from deleterious ones. Without follow-up treatments, invasive plants quickly recolonize. Our trained, licensed applicators stay ahead of this by using selective herbicides that minimize damage to desirable native species. We can even do winter or early spring herbicide applications. Call your local experts at Cason Land & Water Management, LLC to help control invasive plants and restore the native plant community on your property! We serve Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.
