Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Weber on April 30, 2011 at 10:32am

Right now we are just starting to use RX burning in PA.We are using it in this area right now on switchgrass quite a bit but it is going to be used more now that the state government let us start using it a couple years ago.

Permalink Reply by Aaron Mandel on April 30, 2011 at 12:26pm

Very cool Chris. Glade to here the State is starting to get the idea. Do you guys have Oak Savannah ecosystems in your part of Pa.? If so they also are a fire dependant ecosystem that can really benafit from RX Burning.

Permalink Reply by Chris Weber on April 30, 2011 at 11:52pm

Right in my own township,and also in 95% of the surrounding area,its mostly hardwood litter and timber slash in varing degrees of thickness.Some pine stands but overall they are pretty small percentage-wise.Other than that there are a lot of old fields that are starting to grow over in brush and weeds.

Permalink Reply by Aaron Mandel on May 1, 2011 at 10:16am

Chris, sounds to me like the fuel types your in are very similar to what we have here in MI. The only thing we have that's a issue is jack pine cause it likes to torch. I know that here are oak hardwoods really benifit from RX burning on about a 5 year cycle but your local cycle my be differant. As far as grass it loves to be burned and if timed right can help with weeds and invasives. Some invasives need to be sprayed after burning so check it out first.

Permalink Reply by Matthew on May 18, 2011 at 5:18pm

A lot more private landowners in Alabama are beginning to realize the importance of Rx burning in Alabama's fire dependent/fire adaptive ecosystems. A lot of pine plantations are under burned, and have very heavy fuel loadings. I'm attaching a picture from one private landowners property which my father manages (he's a forester), they burn aggressively on a 2-3 year cycle and have had really good results in maintaining a native open longleaf pine savannah.