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Keywords

basal cover, late-summer prescribed fire, old-world bluestem

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.

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