Wildfire Recovery Assessment

Introduction

The project was designed to assess the recovery period of native rangelands post wildfire in Ponderosa Pine complex on the Eastern Sedimentary plains after the Missouri River Breaks Complex wildfires in 2003. The project consisted of collecting grass samples in the burned sites and analyzing samples for forage value, as compared to samples form adjacent unburned sites.

Objectives

The Garfield County Conservation District intent was to address conservation issues in the analysis of the grasses after a devastating wildfire. The purpose was to determine forage quality and mineral content in the grasses and forbs, to assist producers. The information is used for ranchers affected by the 2003 wildfires and by those impacted by wildfires in the future.

Study Area

The study area was in the Ponderosa Pine complex on the Eastern Sedimentary plains located in northwestern Garfield County. Three main fire areas; the Germaine (66,515 acres); the Big Coulee (29, 494 acres); and the Indian (33,959 acres) with sixteen clipping and monitoring sites were established. Locations were determined depending on range conditions for soil types and grass concentration. Four treatment areas included two in the Germaine, one in the Big Coulee, and one in the Indian.

Methods

Samples were collected three times from the four designated sites. At each site, three samples were taken from the burned area and one sample was taken from the adjacent unburned area. Samples were collected in the end of June, the end of July, and the end of September.

A 44-inch diameter ring was used at the same spot for each of the three collection dates. Three grass species (western wheatgrass, green needle grass, and blue grama) were collected for forage analysis. The samples were sent to Midwest Labs and tested for crude protein, acid detergent fiber, total digestible fiber, net energy-lactation, net energy maintenance, net energy gain, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc.

Results

The sample data was entered into a spreadsheet and graphed for comparison between the burned and unburned areas. Comparative statistics was used to interpret the data, due to the lack of samples. From the interpretation of the data, there was no significant difference between the grasses on the burned areas compared to the grasses on the unburned areas. The Phipps site appeared to have a larger amount of phosphorous and manganese in the unburned area. The other sited did not show an increase of either mineral.

Recommendations were made by the Garfield Conservation District in regards to the results of this project, i.e. how to make it better and how future and similar projects might provide better data and more definite conclusions.

The use of a line transect and sampling frame method to collect the data would be more effective in providing a sample size and distribution of the grasses. The amount of samples should be increased to provide a better analysis and understanding of what is happening with the grasses.

The soils should be tested in both the burned and unburned areas, to indicate the type of soil present and the potential of the grasses to grow, and how soils affect nutrient differences.

Additional baseline data should be collected to supplement forage analysis tests. The amount of grass within the frame should be weighed in order to make a comparison with the amount of grass in burned and unburned sites. The percentage of species could be recorded for distribution purposes, and the height and diameter of a sub sample should be recorded for comparison.

The amount of rain, wind, and weather events might affect the nutrients present in the grasses as does the location of the site. Several factors impact the site, such factors as slope, aspect, precipitation, amount of canopy cover, as examples. Data loggers should be placed on the site, to provide accurate weather readings for comparison.

In conclusion, the data obtained from this project indicate there is little difference between the value forage on burned compared to unburned sites. The slight differences are not consistent or statistically accurate and do not favor either the burned or unburned grasses on the sites.

Contact Information

Garfield Conservation District
400 Main Street
Jordan, MT 59337
(406) 557-2740