Fire Effects on Flora and Fauna of Grassy and Heath Balds

Vegetation

Very few quantitative studies exist that describe vegetative recovery following fires on balds. Observations and qualitative studies show that many of the plants present on balds resprout following fires. Several dominant resprouting plants include Danthonia compressa, Rumex acetosella, Rhododendron spp. and Vaccinium spp. Other plants have been noted as fire followers: Diervilla sessilifolia, Angelica triquinata, Prunus pensylvanica and Sorbus americana (Pittillo 1981).

Recovery of resprouting shrubs is relatively slow in comparison to coastal plain communities, in which shrubs are known to recover pre-burn cover and foliage within 1-4 years post-burn (Abrahamson 1984). In one study in bald-like systems, plants’ ability to resprout following complete top-kill by fire was diminished and depended on the degree to which it was browsed by white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus, Barden 1978). Plants that return quickly to pre-disturbance cover (1 to 2 years post fire) included Diervilla sessilifolia and the low bush form of Vaccinium vacillans. Though these plants did not regain their pre-fire height within the same time frame. Estimates for recovery of pre-fire coverage for various species are as follows: Pieris floribunda, 5  years;  Vaccinium erythrocarpum, 8 years; Vaccinium constablaei, 10 to 15 years. Very slow recovery rates were reported for Rhododendron catawbiense, Menziesia pilosa and Kalmia latifolia, but all were very heavily browsed.  Vaccinium constablaei was also heavily browsed. Shrubs that were not completely top-killed recovered more quickly (Barden 1978). Shrubs have been observed to begin resprouting up to 18 months post-fire (Sanders 1981).

Fauna

Little information is available on the effects of fires on animals of bald and bald-like communities. The US Forest Service maintains portions of the Balsam Mountains for golden eagle habitat. These areas generally resemble balds and share many species with grassy balds but were created when severe fires burned through logging slash on former spruce fir forests in the 1920’s then again in the 1940’s. Prescribed fire is used to maintain the open condition. No significant difference in the diversity index of small mammal communities was observed between burned bald-like areas, unburned bald-like areas and mature spruce/fir forests. However the small mammal community composition differed somewhat from site to site (Robinsion 1981). In the same study it was observed that deer use burned areas more than non-burned areas and that more ravens and golden eagles were seen in “open habitat” than forested habitats (Robinsion 1981).