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Tom's Blog

 

Seed Planting Finished

Today we finished planting seeds for the season.

The process of collecting and planting seeds for a restoration is a very drawn out affair. It starts the previous fall, when much of our time is devoted to seed collecting. Seed drying and cleaning follow, which are time-consuming tasks. Some seeds are planted in the fall, but most do not get planted until the following spring, after burns are completed. Handling all these seeds (we had over 150 species this year), keeping them intact and viable, and then getting them on the ground in the proper locations, is a major responsibility. Until the seeds are on the ground, I am always somewhat nervous.

This year we planted seeds in five major habitats: open savanna, dry prairie, dry mesic, wet mesic, and wet. The partitioning of the various species to these various habitat types makes use of reference books that have been published by Rich Henderson and by Hugh Iltis and Ted Cochrane, which discuss on a species-by-species basis the habitat preferences. Some species have fairly wide tolerances and contribute to more than one mix, whereas others are specialized and are added to only one or two mixes. The general habitat preferences of the species we have at Pleasant Valley Conservancy are given in the species checklist.

It took four of us to do the planting, and the task was spread over four days. Most of the areas planted had been burned this spring and there was good bare ground available. This is important, as it is wasteful of seeds to throw them on top of a litter layer.

In addition to the general seed mixes listed above, we had a number of species that we plant separately. These are specialized species or those that are endangered, threatened, or of special concern. These are planted individually, and the locations used are selected carefully.

It is a relief to have all these bags of seeds out of the barn and down on the ground.

Just in time, because "weed season" is about to begin!

 

 

Nice Burn Day at Goose Pond

We have been volunteering at the Madison Audubon Society Goose Pond Sanctuary for over 10 years. In our early years of restoration work, we learned a huge amount and became able to bring the techniques we learned to Pleasant Valley Conservancy. We continue to help out at Goose Pond when we have the time. Today we joined a large group of like-minded volunteers in burning several large prairie restorations. Kathie and I contributed the pumper unit which resides in our pickup truck during burn season. (Our truck is in the background in the photo below.) I drove, and Kathie managed the hose. Because these planted prairies are surrounded by other prairie land that was not to be burned, our pumper unit came in really handy. It took all afternoon to burn these prairies to satisfaction, the crew being very careful to keep the fire confined to the burn units. The weather was cool but with satisfactory relative humidity and a 5-8 mph wind from the west.

 

Our Resilient Wetlands, Savannas, and Prairies

Today we had a real rainfall gusher, almost 3 inches in a short period of time. For a while we could not see a few feet in front of us.

We were quite interested to see how our restoration areas responded to this onslaught. The photo below shows what our wetland looked like about a half-hour after the downpour. Most of the water came from Pleasant Valley Creek and East Blue Mounds Creek, which join in this wetland.

The pair of sandhill cranes nesting here probably lost their eggs, and will have to start over again. However, they are adapted to such violent weather conditions, and will probably be fine.

About four hours after this photo was taken, most of the water was gone, heading down stream toward Black Earth Creek.

The Crane Prairie is in the foreground of this picture. Also, between the Crane Prairie and the water is a strip of sedge meadow.

 

The second photo below shows the outlet of the Pocket Prairie, with oak savanna in the background. This tiny stream is also ephemeral, and was gone in a few hours. The other drainage areas in Pleasant Valley Creek were quite different, with rapidly gushing water and huge amounts of sediment. We were please to see that in our restored areas, there was a complete absence of sediment in the outflow. The rainfall was just soaked up by the good soil.

 

Recognizing Seedlings in a Restoration

Things are starting to grow. One of the skills I am trying to acquire is the ability to recognize "good" plants from bad when they are very young. This is an important skill for the restorationist. Knowing what you have at an early stage may make a major difference in how a restoration is being managed.

Some species are easy to recognize, others not so. Very few photos are available of these young plants, either in books or on the web. This year I am trying to make a photo album. This should be a major task of the next few weeks.

Shooting star (Dodecatheon meadii) seedling in a prairie remnant.

Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) seedling in a planted prairie.

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However, it is also important to be able to recognize the "bad" plants at an early stage. The photo to the right shows three buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) seedlings at an early stage. Fortunately, this photo was not taken at Pleasant Valley Conservancy!

 

 

 

Great Savanna Burn and Spring Finale

Today the weather really cooperated and we were able to finish our savanna burns and complete our burns for the year. With the cold, wet spring, I had given up hope of getting all our burns in, but patience was rewarded. After the spotty results of last Thursday (see post of 4/17/08), the results for this Monday were all one could ask for. We were able to burn virtually all of our bur oak savannas (Units 8, 10, 11A, B, and C, 12B, and 19. These are all the units in the ridge-top savanna. Check the management map for locations. The weather was warm (70-80 F) and the humidity fairly low (35-30%). The wind was out of the southwest at 5-10 mph, with a few gusts to 11-12 mph (perfect). The dry conditions were needed, but it was the wind that made our day. It pushed our fire uphill at a vigorous but not too vigorous rate. We have never had such good burns in our savanna. We had a crew of 9, all experienced burners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting the burn for Unit 11C. At this level, most of the oaks are white oak, but at the top of the hill, in the dolomite, they are predominantly bur oaks. The fire just licked the base of this fine white oak on its way up the hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finish of the burn in Unit 10. As can be seen, the coverage is virtually 100%. This unit was burned almost exclusively as a headfire, since we had already blackened Unit 19 on the other side of the upper fire break.

 

 

When we first burned these savanna locations in 1998 the results were not good. Most of the savanna did not burn at all, although a few areas burned a bit. After clearing these savannas of invasive trees and shrubs, annual burns, and seeding with prairie and savanna species, we are finally getting vegetation established that provides good fuel for burns. Patience and a lot of work were essential, and worth it!

 

Savanna Burn Results

Today I evaluated the efficiency of the savanna burn we carried out two days ago. (Yesterday it rained so hard that I stayed home.) Savanna burns are more difficult to do than prairie burns, and the coverage is generally less, mainly because the fuel is less satisfactory.

We had burned the whole savanna basin that is uphill of the Pocket Prairie, which includes Units 11D, 12A, 18, 20, and 21. Some of it burned very well, but some did not. Part of the reason was availability of fuel, part was the slope and aspect, and the rest was the wind. The fuel in a savanna burn is primarily oak leaves, unless the canopy is so open that prairie can be established. The slope is less steep than our south-facing slope, and a lot of the savanna faces east or north instead of south. These factors make the burn less satisfactory. Finally, today the wind was from the northeast, which is not as suitable. However, Unit 18 faces east, and fortuitously, at the time we were lighting this unit, the wind was actually from the east.

I walked the whole burn, starting at the left side and ending at the right side. In order to get the best view, I climbed into the middle of savanna, and then walked around the basin staying at that elevation. For locations, I used nearby marked trees that we had GPS data on.

It was clear that the principal factor influencing the burn efficiency was the presence or absence of oak leaves. If oaks were present, then the burn was good. If the trees were hickory, the burn was very poor. And if the area was treeless, such as on a prairie, the efficiency was also fairly poor. This latter is because we are a long way from having established prairies on these treeless areas.

Excellent burn coverage on this south-facing slope. The mowed path in the middle served as a fire break, although one wasn't really needed. This is an area with many large white oaks, and their leaves provided the principal fuel for the burn. The uphill slope kept the fire moving along.

 

The border between white oaks (above) and hickories (below). The hickory leaves do not provide good fuel, so this area did not burn.

 

 

Busy Day: Burns and Spraying

Burns Our great burn on Monday (see 14 April below) was followed by two awful days when we could not burn at all. We have around 60 acres of oak savanna to burn, and the weather Tuesday and Wednesday was perfect: low humidity, nice wind out of the southwest. But DNR canceled all burns in Dane County (and many other counties) because the winds were strong and gusty. True, they would have been tricky for prairie burns, but not for our savannas. But we had no recourse but to sit and wait.

The high pressure system that was driving the winds moved through on Wednesday evening, and predictions were for rain on Thursday. Bummer. However, Todd was at Pleasant Valley Conservancy for some herbicide work and observed that the woods were still dry and there was no rain yet. He did a test burn, then called us and said we could probably do a savanna burn. We quickly scurried up some other people and made a dash to the Conservancy. While we were driving the 22 miles, Todd got the water and drip torch fuel ready. We started lighting at 11 AM.

Mostly, the burn went very well. Where the main fuel was oak leaves, the fire carried quite well. Some of the more open savanna areas did not burn as well because the fuel was mainly forbs with a bit of grass (mostly savanna grasses). We burned Units 20, 21, 12A, 11D, and 18, for a total of l2 acres, including the whole basin above the Pocket Prairie. Although the main bur oak savanna area is yet to be burned, the areas we burned will take some of the pressure off the next burn.

Now all we need to do is get some good weather again!

Interior lighting (stripping) in Unit 20. This is a mixed woods with oaks, hickories, and basswood. A lot of it faces almost due north, and snuggles up against a ravine, so it takes quite a while to dry out. After we finished all the main burn, Todd returned and got some more areas to burn.

 

The Unit 18 burn was one of the best we have ever had with this unit. This unit faces east and rarely gets the right wind during a burn but today we had a moderate east wind, carrying the fire up the hill. No interior lighting was necessary. The few small unburned patches were areas with small depressions where the fuel was not good.

 

Spraying We had just finished the burns when the local agricultural cooperative called and said they were on there way to do the spraying we had ordered. We had to be on hand to show the spray rig operator exactly what to spray (and what not to spray).

The spraying was part of our cool season grass control on planted prairies. The technique is to spray the prairie with glyphosate herbicide when the cool season grasses are up but while the shoots of the prairie plants are still below the soil. Glyphosate is the perfect herbicide for this because it has no soil residual activity, but is very toxic to anything green. The cool season grasses are mainly smooth brome and bluegrass. We sprayed two prairies, the Crane Prairie and the Ridge Prairie.

The timing here is obviously critical. We monitor the prairies frequently during the early growing season, and when the leaves of the grasses are about 4 inches tall, we spray. Fortunately, the Co-op is nearby and is very cooperative about timing (no pun intended). We might lose a few early prairie plants, but this is preferable to having a field full of smooth brome. In one prairie we missed the timing a bit and killed all the golden Alexanders. In another we damaged, but did not kill, the cream gentian. This year Kathie was worried about Jacob's ladder in the Crane Prairie, since she could see a few up.

Spraying the Ridge Prairie. This was after its second growing season. There had been a big patch of Daucus carota which we had mowed in August, and because of this there was very little old growth left. The green of the cool season grasses is obvious. Kathie rode with the spray operator and pointed out areas to spray. The spray rig is very efficient, and a 2 acre prairie like this can be sprayed in about 15 minutes.

 

Spraying the Crane Prairie. This is adjacent to sedge meadow, which is predominantly Carex trichocarpa. This prairie had been burned in late November in order to eliminate as much "thatch" as possible. The green of the smooth brome is very obvious.

 

For the restorationist planting prairies, early green is bad. It is almost always an indication of smooth brome or bluegrass.

 

Another Good Burn Day

We had 2 inches of rain on Friday/Saturday, but the sun on Sunday dried things out and Monday was a great day for controlled burns. We burned all the rest of our planted prairies: Toby's, Valley, and Cabin. All burns were successful and there were no problems. There were five of us, all experienced. The weather was in the upper 50s F with relative humidities ranging from 25-50%. The wind was quite light, mostly out of the north, although somewhat variable in direction.

The photos and captions below give a summary of the burns.

Toby's Prairie is as 4 acre ridge-top prairie. We consider it dry-mesic in character, and the principal fuel is Indian grass. This year, because of the heavy long-lasting snow, the Indian grass is all laying down. Since Indian grass is a demon fuel, capable of burning with 15 foot flames on a windy day, we were happy that was not very windy. Here we are burning the north side of the prairie, which slopes down toward an oak woodland. However, between the prairie and the woodland is an area that had once been a major aspen zone. We eliminated the aspen some years ago and planted the area with prairie/savanna species. However, we did not want to burn the woods so we mowed a fire break between the prairie and the woods. We used our pumper unit on our Kawasaki Mule to "wetline" the fire break. This worked like a charm and we were able to control the burn quite well. Because there were some complicated corners to the unit, it took us about an hour to do the burn.

 

Burning the Triangle, a small savanna adjacent to Toby's Prairie. After the Toby burn was finished and all the mop-up was over, we burned a few small surrounding areas. The Triangle is an area that was created by the merger of two roads and the prairie to the west. It has some nice plant species, including lots of gray and showy goldenrod that we collect in the fall. Seen in the background is the Ridge Prairie, a newly planted prairie still too "green" to be burnable.

 

Burning the Valley Prairie. This 4 acre prairie was planted in November 2002. It is adjacent to a fairly large wetland but slopes up to Pleasant Valley Road. It has wet mesic, mesic, and dry-mesic character in different parts, but most of it is wet mesic. The green fire break seen was very wet, but there was plenty of good fuel so the prairie burned quite well. We got over 90% coverage in about 45 minutes.

 

Burning the Cabin Prairie. This small prairie is adjacent to our cabin and we use it for trying out various prairie species. It was planted in Nov 2002 and is fairly well established. However, there are lots of "hazards" we have to watch out for, such as electrical junction boxes, special trees, and (up on the road) lilac bushes that Kathie likes.

Aldo Leopold Burn School

A two-day burn school run by the Aldo Leopold Foundation was held at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center nearby on Sutcliffe Road. The practical part of the course was held at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. On Friday, the 24 students and 5 instructors visited the Conservancy to see at first hand a large fire-controlled ecosystem. On Saturday, the class used our Pocket Prairie for practical instruction in fire ignition and control, and ended up by burning the whole prairie.

An early stage of the burn. The class had been divided into two groups, each of which worked on a separate part of the prairie. The weather was ideal for a burn, and the tall Indian grass provided excellent fuel.

 

Observing fire behavior. Fires were started and then put out. Backing fires, flanking fires, and head fires were created and controlled. The instructors all wore fire-resistant clothing.

 

Each student was equipped with a backpack water can, or a flapper. Practice in the use of these tools was extensive.

 

Widening out the burn, preparatory to burning the whole unit. Each student learned to use the drip torch as an ignition tool.

 

There was a steady wind from the west, which provided for a nice head fire during the later stages of the burn. Ultimately, the fire was carried all the way to the road. Two fire lines moved in opposite directions, one on each side of the prairie. The two groups were in communication via two-way radio.

 

An ATV with pumper unit provided backup support, and was used for "wetlining."

We were happy to provide support for this important burn school. Because of the location along Pleasant Valley Road, neighbors were able to observe the burn school in action and learn how extensive and careful burn instruction is. Steve Swenson of the Aldo Leopold Foundation was in charge. The course was co-sponsored by the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, the Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council, and Lumberjack Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc., a unit of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

 

Big South Slope Burn

The weather finally cooperated and we were able to do the burn of our south-facing slope. This is always the first burn of the season for us, because this steep hillside dries out the quickest. While we were burning today, the north-facing slope was still fully snow covered.

Last evening we had light rain, and the valley was fogged in when I arrived at 8 AM. But the sun was shining and the fog soon "burned off." However, all of the prairie vegetation was dripping with condensation, so we had to wait until noon to start the burn. During the morning the crew got our two pumper units ready, and then did some chain saw work in the savannas we are going to burn later. After an early lunch, we struck a match at 12:30 PM. As usual, we started the burn at the top of the ridge and backburned down 50-100 feet.The burn went slow at first, probably because there was still some moisture in the fuel. One drip torch went down the east ridge to the road, and the other went down the west ridge. The one down the east ridge started the headfire while the other group was completing the blackline at the west end.

We finished the initial ring fire by 1:30 PM and spent the next hour stripping areas that had not burned. Eventually, we managed to get close to 100% cover in most of the slope, except for the upper northwestern slope, which burned fairly poorly (about 60%). The fuel supply in this area is sparse.

We had a crew of nine, six paid and three volunteers. (I only took pictures.)

The south-slope burn. The wind was out of the west and was pushing the flames across the slope as a flanking fire. The separate lines soon merged. The fuel in this area is primarily little bluestem grass.

 

Burning one of the prairie remnants at the top of the slope. Note that the north-facing slope across the valley is still snow covered.

 

After the burn. The large bur oaks are resistant to fire and are unaffected. Note how well the slope surface had burned.

 

Getting Ready for the Spring Burns

Spring burns are just about upon us, and one of our major tasks is to prepare the areas we are to burn to prevent any mop-up problems. Dead branches hanging down across living trees have to be removed, because fire may creep up and start burns high up. Dead wood is really inflammable and even a few sparks may set it off. Such "smokers" can be a problem because sparks may blow away and start fires in undesirable areas. These fires are difficult to reach and may require that the tree be cut down, a time-consuming and expensive operation. As they say, a stitch in time saves nine! Kathie and I had surveyed the areas that will be burned and made notes about what needed attending to. Two workers from a contractor wielded the chain saws and made neat stacks of the dead wood.

Another potential problem that needs attending to are standing dead trees. In a prairie one might let these burn up, but in our savannas we save these trees for woodpeckers and other wildlife. Also, there are fire-sensitive species (such as birch) that we want to keep. To prevent these problems, a leaf- and litter-free zone is made around each problem tree. Years ago we raked around these trees, a slow and back-breaking job. We have a better technique now, which requires two people.

One person clears around each problem tree with a brush cutter that has plastic flail blades. These blades cut all the grass and small brush and loosen up the litter. The plastic flails are gentle enough that they do not damage the tree itself.

The second person uses a leaf blower and clears a two- to three-foot litter-free zone around the tree. This year we have a new leaf blower that really does the job. It is a Stihl BR-600, the heaviest duty leaf blower Stihl makes. It is equipped with a 4-cycle engine combining the advantages of 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines in a single unit. Unlike conventional 4-stroke engines, which require separate systems for the fuel supply and engine lubrication, the fuel has lubrication oil added (like a 2-cycle). Since it is lubricated by the fuel mixture, the engine does not need the oil pump, oil tank and oil pan needed by conventional 4-stroke engines, thus making the engine relatively light (20 pounds). Another advantage for us is that the engine is very easy to start, in contrast to the old Stihl leaf blower we have been using for the past 10 years.

The photo below shows Susan and Heisley working their way across the upper part of our south-facing slope, which is a fine bur-oak savanna. The living bur oaks do not need to be dealt with, since their thick corky bark makes them fire resistant. But we clear around the standing dead trees as well as the birches. An example of a standing dead tree can be seen down the hill between the two workers. Although not large, this tree would be a potential problem during the burn.

If the weather cooperates, we hope to burn on Friday April 4!