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Reestablishing
Pastures and Hay Meadows - Timing
and degree of fire loss
Immediately
after a wildfire, several conditions should be assessed.
Following “low
intensity” burns, the soil color is still normal, debris is
only partially burned, ash is dark in color, and water infiltration
is not greatly affected. In these conditions, many plant species
will recover in the first year.
With “high
intensity” fires, the upper 4 inches of soil may be discolored
and physically crusted (which reduces permeability), debris and
thatch is gone, ash is light in color, and plant survival may be
limited. Depending on slope and time of year, the burned site may
require immediate attention, or reseeding could be postponed until
better conditions exist.
If erosion is
a risk on slopes, it may be necessary to immediately plant a fast-growing
annual crop such as wheat, barley or oats, prior to reseeding an
entire meadow. A producer should consider the previous vegetation
and take steps to improve it. For example, if there were patches
of invasive weeds or other undesir- able plants, it is advisable
to wait for one season and control these with herbicides and other
methods before reseeding.
During the season
following a fire, grazing management may need to be adjusted to
allow better recovery of the grasses and vegetation. At this point,
if the stand and plant community appear to be undesirable, then
the producer should take steps to reseed.
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