Do you wonder how fire impacts the native plant communities around you? The new video titled “The Effects of Fire” VT-1139, produced by Oklahoma State University Agricultural Communications Services and Natural Resource Ecology and Management extension faculty, will help answer many of your questions.
The first chapter of the video covers the historical importance of fire prior to European man’s westward settlement. The video is then separated into three chapters including grasslands, shrublands and forests. Within each chapter the impacts and response of key plant species to fire within each plant community are examined. For example, in the forest section, impacts of fire on shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) and Post Oak (Quercus stellata) are shown through a series of clips with 4-year, 3-year, 2-year and annual burning. This not only shows the impact on the trees, but also how the fire affects the understory herbaceous plant community. Throughout the video the effects of fire frequency or how often an area is burned has on the vegetative plant community and structure is shown to the viewer. The video addresses how season of burn also impacts each of the plant communities. Also highlighted within the video are interviews with fire ecologists and specialists describing the importance of fire to these native plant communities. If you are interested in livestock production, wildlife or just the enjoy the land this video will provide an increased awareness of the importance of fire. “The Effects of Fire” video is an important tool for anyone who currently uses fire to manage the land or is thinking about applying fire on their property. The video is closed captioned and has Spanish sub-titles. As an added feature of the video there are 20 pdf fire publications included on the video that cover a range of topics including prescribed burn associations, conducting prescribed fires and fire prescriptions, and many more. The Effects of Fire video is available for purchase online at: https://secure.touchnet.com/C20271_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1245
If you would like to watch two chapters of the video as it was presented on OSU’s Sunup TV in January of 2012 visit the following link: