232
R. DAUBICNMZRE
1933; Stoddard, 1935b, 1963). Ihliberate burning in the winter might
be used to insure againut nuch a devastating fire during the spring nesting season, and the earlier such a burn the better developed and the
more useful the new growth when the ne8ting season arrived.
In the grass cover beneath pines on the Coastal Plain and Piedmont
Plateau of southeastern North America herbaceous legumes play a
minor part in vegetation that has long escaped burning, but fire coming
in winter after these legumes have cast their seed greatly increases their
populations whereas fire in spring and summer haa the opposite effect
(Cushwa et al., 1966; Cushwa and Redd, 1966). Since legume seeds are
an important item in the diet of bobwhite quail, the value of this
vegetation as game bird habitat is therefore greatly increased by winter
burning (Stoddard, 1932, 1936).
Bobolinks, savannah sparrows and Le Conte’s sparrows avoided a
recently burned tract of grassland just beyond the forest edge in Minnesota, with the last appearing in abundance during just the intermediate
stages of vegetation recovery, and the first two returning only as recovery was completed (Tester and Marshall, 1961).
Insects flushed by the advancing front of a grass fire in southeastern
North America often attract such birds as hawks and purple martins
which are quick to learn of the briefly increased availability of food
(Stoddard, 1963). The same phenomenon haa been reported for birds of
the African savanna (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1966).
2. Small rodents
The loss by fire of essential food and cover is catastrophic for populations of mice and other small rodents. However, most of these animals
rear their young in burrows which give them a measure of immunity
from fire not shared by ground-nesting birds.
When fire consumed a stand of grassland near Berkeley at the end
of the dry season, mouse populations were reduced to practically nil by
emigration, but starting 6 months later they slowly returned until in
the second post-burn season the total population demity waa almost
normal, although the relative amounts of the different species had not
yet stabilized (Cook, 1969).
Heavy litter cover associated with unburned grassland provides
optimal cover for Microtus penmylvmicus in western Minnesota; so
this daytime-active mammal completely vacates burns where the litter
has been destroyed (Tester and Marshall, 1961). On the other hand the
nocturnally active Permyscus maniculatus is most abundant on areas
recently cleared by fire.
3. Zmects
In western Minnesota optimal habitat for grasshoppers (Orthopiera)
R. DAUBICNMZRE
1933; Stoddard, 1935b, 1963). Ihliberate burning in the winter might
be used to insure againut nuch a devastating fire during the spring nesting season, and the earlier such a burn the better developed and the
more useful the new growth when the ne8ting season arrived.
In the grass cover beneath pines on the Coastal Plain and Piedmont
Plateau of southeastern North America herbaceous legumes play a
minor part in vegetation that has long escaped burning, but fire coming
in winter after these legumes have cast their seed greatly increases their
populations whereas fire in spring and summer haa the opposite effect
(Cushwa et al., 1966; Cushwa and Redd, 1966). Since legume seeds are
an important item in the diet of bobwhite quail, the value of this
vegetation as game bird habitat is therefore greatly increased by winter
burning (Stoddard, 1932, 1936).
Bobolinks, savannah sparrows and Le Conte’s sparrows avoided a
recently burned tract of grassland just beyond the forest edge in Minnesota, with the last appearing in abundance during just the intermediate
stages of vegetation recovery, and the first two returning only as recovery was completed (Tester and Marshall, 1961).
Insects flushed by the advancing front of a grass fire in southeastern
North America often attract such birds as hawks and purple martins
which are quick to learn of the briefly increased availability of food
(Stoddard, 1963). The same phenomenon haa been reported for birds of
the African savanna (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1966).
2. Small rodents
The loss by fire of essential food and cover is catastrophic for populations of mice and other small rodents. However, most of these animals
rear their young in burrows which give them a measure of immunity
from fire not shared by ground-nesting birds.
When fire consumed a stand of grassland near Berkeley at the end
of the dry season, mouse populations were reduced to practically nil by
emigration, but starting 6 months later they slowly returned until in
the second post-burn season the total population demity waa almost
normal, although the relative amounts of the different species had not
yet stabilized (Cook, 1969).
Heavy litter cover associated with unburned grassland provides
optimal cover for Microtus penmylvmicus in western Minnesota; so
this daytime-active mammal completely vacates burns where the litter
has been destroyed (Tester and Marshall, 1961). On the other hand the
nocturnally active Permyscus maniculatus is most abundant on areas
recently cleared by fire.
3. Zmects
In western Minnesota optimal habitat for grasshoppers (Orthopiera)