Control fire risk using mechanical shrub control and/or prescribed burning

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 1
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Effectiveness

not assessed
Certainty

not assessed
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Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated controlled trial in mixed temperate forest in the USA showed that for bee conservation, it is best to control fire using cutting and burning combined. This increases herbaceous plant cover in subsequent years.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated controlled trial in mixed temperate forests in North Carolina, USA, tested the effects of prescribed burning and mechanical shrub control (cutting) or both, on the abundance of flower-visiting insects in the subsequent two years (Campbell et al. 2007). There were three replicates of each treatment, in 14 ha plots. There were more bees and more bee species in plots that underwent both mechanical shrub control and prescribed burning, compared to plots with mechanical shrub control only, prescribed burn only or no fire control. Mechanical shrub control and burning combined led to hotter fires and increased herbaceous plant cover, providing more forage plants for bees in subsequent years.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Campbell J.W., Hanula J.L. & Waldrop T.A. (2007) Effects of prescribed fire and fire surrogates on floral visiting insects of the blue ridge province in North Carolina. Biological Conservation, 134, 393-404.