Is fire a useful conservation tool in grassy box woodlands?
Fuel (e.g. dry grass) often builds up to an unacceptable level, and in some cases old, rank grass may smother the growth of other species. A cool, patchy burn between late autumn and very early spring may prompt germination of new species and allow ground fauna to survive, but in most cases individual patches should only be burnt every 5-10 years. Remember, don’t burn the whole area. Care needs to be taken not to leave large areas of ground bare during autumn when annual weeds are germinating. As much information regarding burning is still unknown, it would be useful for you to test and monitor the effects of: • A cool, autumn burn if there is dense native grass cover. This will open up the sward and allow other native plants to survive and/or establish. • A hot winter/spring burn (after the annuals have germinated but before they have seeded) on a site with many annual weeds and some perennial native grasses. This will reduce the seeding of the weeds. (A hot burn can be difficult to a
