Patch Burn Grazing�for Birds and Beef
Katy Hoskins
Wildlife Habitat Federation
Moving Parts We Can Control:
Kind and Class of Livestock
Grazing Numbers
Water & Mineral Distribution
Moving Parts We Cannot Control:
Weather & Precipitation
Bird Migration
Bird populations
Wildfire
What is Prescribed Fire?
What is Patch Burn Grazing?
What is a Controlled Burn?
What is a Wildfire?
Why are we losing Grassland Birds?
Why do we care?
How can Prescribed Fire Help?
By suppressing fire, we have fractured
habitat for our native species.
By returning to a more natural fire regime, we
can revitalize critical habitat.
Grazing
After
A Burn
Higher Palatability
Forage Quality & Quantity
Creates a Mosaic
Forbs & Early
Succession Plants
Early Successional Grazing –
Forbs and New Grass Growth
* Creates a Mosaic of Vegetation
* Higher Protein, Nutrients & Digestibility
* Removes Dead Plant Litter Allowing
for New Plant Growth
* Increased Forb Production
*Longer Growing Season Access
Animals themselves manage
the forage by staying on the
newest, most nutritious, newly
burned areas.
“Pyric Herbivory”
Pyric Carnivory
* Increased Prey Visibility
* Increased Foraging Efficiency
* Habitat Heterogeneity
* Increased Structural Diversity of Vegetation
Questions?
Activities:
Plan a patch burn – define goals, create a map, decide weather parameters, timing,
make a checklist of preparations, select roles for each member of the fire team
Conduct a bird survey. Use Merlin, e-Bird, binoculars and a guide to determine a bird list
for that specific day on the ranch.
Do soil investigations! Find soil temperature under different conditions, assess soil health
using shovels, Hori Hori knives and a soil scientist. Hypothesize the role of soil health in
healthy ecosystems.
Useful Phone Apps:
SoilWeb
UC-Davis
Merlin
Cornell
OnX Hunt
OnX Maps
iNaturalist
UC - Berkely
Watch Duty
Solocator
eBird
Cornell
Your Favorite Weather App
Pre and Post Test Question Bank
Patch Burn Grazing for Increased Animal Performance & Wildlife Habitat