Prescribed burn at Modini Preserve delivers “an incredible experience”
Prior to the prescribed burn at Modini Preserve’s Land Steward, Tomas Ruiz, mowed the area to ensure adequate fuel breaks. Additionally, Modini Preserve’s Resource Ecologist Julianne Bradbury assisted in pre-treatment data collection.
At first, Cooper was nervous about how this prescribed fire at Modini Preserve would go. She had to evacuate her home during the Kincade Fire in 2019, but this two-acre prescribed burn felt different—safer, smaller, and intentional.
“My feeling of unease was gone about five minutes after they started the fire,” Cooper says. “It was clear that the team with Fire Forward had it totally under control. Overall, this has been an incredible experience.”
It will be exciting to see how this area looks one month, let alone one year, from now. Prior to the burn, scientists and stewards at Modini Preserve measured species richness and percentage of cover. They will continue to monitor for species richness and signs of erosion, especially after significant rain events.
References
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Xiong, Shaojun, and Christer Nilsson. “The Effects of Plant Litter on Vegetation: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Ecology, vol. 87, no. 6, 1999, pp. 984–94, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2648387. Accessed 22 Apr. 2022.