Prescribed Burning during Winter for Maintenance of Buffelgrass

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Abstract
Neither a single burn during late winter nor a 2nd burn 2 yr later reduced the density of mixed brush dominated by blackbrush acacia, [Acacia rigidual] honey mesquite [Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa] and twisted acacia [A. tortuosa] which had invaded buffelgrass seedings on the South Texas Plains [USA]. Based on canopy cover and height, most woody species had recovered to preburn status after 2 growing seasons. Buffelgrass responded by a flush of spring growth during the year of burning; cumulative herbage production exceeded that of unburned areas for 3 growing seasons after the single burn. However, during dry growing conditions, less buffelgrass herbage was produced on burned than on unburned areas. A 2nd burn tended to increase buffelgrass herbage production compared to the single burn. However, when moisture became limiting, less herbage was also produced on the twice-burned areas. Disappearance of buffelgrass, attributed primarily to grazing, closely paralleled herbage production, with the greatest disappearance occurring the 1st growing season after the burn.

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