Midwest Prescribed Fire Monitoring Network
Across the midwestern United States, prescribed fire (planned fires used in land management) is one important tool that people use to care for the land. The goals of this network are to increase knowledge of fire science in the Midwest and preserve the rare habitats that make up the Southern WI landscape. We aim to accomplish these goals by: 1) involving managers in measuring fire behavior and monitoring prescribed fire effects, 2) supporting knowledge-sharing among a network of managers, and 3) comparing predicted vs. observed fire behavior in Midwest ecosystems.
Outcomes
Our results indicate that management objectives for oak savanna sites in Southern Wisconsin are ubiquitous. All the land managers surveyed indicated they have three main management objectives for oak savanna sites: 1) maintain or increase native oak savanna species, including promoting oak regeneration, 2) prevent or decrease undesirable invasive species, and 3) promote oak savanna structure. Participation in the pilot study indicates a strong interest in prescribed fire monitoring protocols with clear objectives and outcomes. Additionally, managers are willing to participate in data collection to improve land management outcomes. With initial prescribed fires occurring in spring 2022, we look forward to providing updates later in 2022.
Focus Areas
Project Leader
Christy Lowney
Research Specialist
- Department/Unit
- Arboretum
- School or College
- Graduate School