Ozark Highlands Cluster, Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2007

Author unknown

A summary of fire ecology activities and program information for the Park/network including fire effects plot workload, staffing, management objectives and monitoring results, and planning, fire monitoring, communications, and research. Also included are staff accomplishments/areas of focus, future program direction and other optional information (e.g. data analysis graphics or presentations, annual highlights, publications, program challenges, unique solutions to problems, collaboration, photographs of monitoring/fire activities, and suggestions on FFI). 2007 was a very successful year for the Ozark Highlands fire ecology program. This year our monitoring crew consisted of two seasonal biological science techs and three SCA interns as I exhausted my seasonal certificate during hiring. The SCAs did an excellent job and were critical to our program’s accomplishing all of our fire effects plot work. The fire ecologist and lead monitor read 35 immediate postburn plots in cluster park units while the fire effects monitoring crew reread/installed 61 FMH plots at Ozark NSR, Buffalo NR, Pea Ridge NMP, and Hot Springs NP. In addition, 67 CBI plots were read within three burn units at Ozark NSR. Fire Ecologist Dan Swanson gave presentations at the George Wright Society Conference in Duluth, MN, and the Mark Twain NF / Northern Research Station Fire Workshop in Rolla, MO, on the “Effect of Prescribed Fire on Herbaceous Diversity and Cover in Upland Oak-hickory-pine forests at ONSR”. The fire ecologist and lead fire effects monitor, Erin Yeoman, were involved in approximately 18 prescribed burns totaling 2900 acres during the months of March and April at area parks. Dan and Erin did go on one wildfire assignment each during last summer’s busy fire season. Erin worked on the Blackcat wildfire in Montana as a crew boss (T) in August while Dan was a squad boss (T) in northern California on the Cherry and Moonlight wildfires in September.