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Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery: Part 2

Scorched Earth – Soil Rx 

September 1, 2022 – Tery Susman, UC Master Gardener of Mariposa County – Wildfires can create immediate and potentially long-term soil erosion. However, there are a number of ways to mitigate this Over the Garden Fencepost-fire concern.

Adapted from the California Native Plant Society Fire Recovery Guide: https://www.cnps.org/give/priority-initiatives/fire-recovery.

  1. Leave the mess; keep it under cover. Much needed soil protection is provided by what the fire left behind. Ash, debris, fallen heat damaged leaves as well as the charred remains of plants can protect the land from wind and water erosion.

If a fire has burned so severely that no material is left on the ground, patches of soil form a crust and become hydroponic (water repellent), increasing runoff. This might necessitate applying chips, mulch from dead debris or straw.

Spreading mulch is the most effective erosion control treatment because it provides what the fire and heavy equipment removed – ground cover! This ground cover allows water to infiltrate the soil instead of running off and eroding it.

Prune or remove only high hazard fire-damaged trees near buildings and roads. Keep felled trees and pruning on-site. These trees can be a source of mulch.

  1. Minimize soil compaction. Keep foot traffic and equipment off burned landscape. Activity on slopes increases erosion weakening soil’s bonds, dislodging soil particles, and trampling newly sprouted plants. Activity on flat ground can compact the soil and lower its water absorption rates, which increases runoff.
  2. Successful Strategies:

Spread: a mulch application. Straw mulch has high efficacy in reducing rainwater runoff, soil erosion, and downstream sedimentation. Use loose barley or wheat straw because it is longer lasting. Rice straw is less expensive. Use when the straw doesn’t need to last as long. Use straw mulch in “free form”, no more than 2-3 inches deep. Mulch in 6-10 foot strips along contour, spaced at 50-100 foot intervals, depending on the steepness of the slope.

Use wood mulch from local materials, including burned trees, shredded debris, or thinned, unburned trees ,wattles, mulch, rocks, and branches can slow down and disperse the runoff, limiting erosion and sediment.

Use straw wattles to shorten slope length. They are designed for short slopes or slopes flatter than 3:1 and low surface flows. For more information on the proper wattle installation go to: https://ucanr.edu/sites/postfire/files/247999.pdf.

Sink: Place rocks, gravel, or crushed rock in areas of high traffic.

Share: Work with neighbors to create a plan to slow runoff. In disturbed areas of moderate to high fire intensity, a neighborhood plan can be critical in preventing sediment and fire debris from washing into sensitive creek habitats and contributing to flooding.

  1. Seek advice: There are many professionals available to assist with on-site fire damage. If you are concerned that your property may be at risk from flooding or debris flow, reach out to these organizations:

Natural Resources Conservation Services – www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/ca/home, call (209) 966-3431

CAL Fire – www.fire.ca.gov (209) 966-3622

Recovering from a wildfire can be a daunting process. Be patient with yourself and with nature. Do what you can, ask for help, and know that our community is STRONG!

Next:  Give Trees a Chance – Ecosystem Resilience

Maxwell Rygiol Detwiler 2017 Erosion 1
Photo Credit: Maxwell Rygiol, from 2017 Detwiler Fire
Maxwell Rygiol Detwiler 2017 Erosion Driveway
Photo Credit: Maxwell Rygiol, from 2017 Detwiler Fire

For assistance, contact our Helpline at (209) 966-7078 or at mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu. We are currently unable to take samples or meet with you in person but welcome pictures.

The U.C. Master Gardener Helpline is staffed; Tuesdays from 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and Thursdays from 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Clients may bring samples to the Agricultural Extension Office located at the Mariposa Fairgrounds, but the Master Gardener office is not open to the public. We will not be doing home visits this year due to UCANR restrictions.

Serving Mariposa County, including Greeley Hill, Coulterville, and Don Pedro
Please contact the helpline, or leave a message by phone at: (209) 966-7078
By email (send photos and questions for researched answers) to: mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu

For further gardening information and event announcements, please visit: UCMG website: https://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener
Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mariposamastergardeners

Master Gardener Office Location:
UC Cooperative Extension Office,
5009 Fairgrounds Road
Mariposa, CA 95338

Phone: (209) 966-2417
Email: mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu
Website: http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener

Visit the YouTube channel at UCCE Mariposa.

 

 

 

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Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery: Part 3

Give Trees a Chance-Ecosystem Resilience 

September 13, 2022 – By Michele Nowak-Sharkey, UC Master Gardener of Mariposa County – The impulse after a fire is to remove all evidence that the event occurred. This is Over the Garden Fenceunderstandable from an emotional perspective, however if we shift to the nature lens, we see a different approach.

Although the landscape looks blackened with no visible signs of life, life nonetheless is rearranging, communicating, and developing a plan as it shakes off the fire trauma.

Trees have a huge impact on ecosystem recovery. Trees contribute by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. To say nothing of the joy we humans experience when we interact with our leafed friends through recreation, food gathering or simply viewing.

Structurally unsound trees that threaten buildings and roads need to be felled. However, it is advised to wait 1- 3 years after a fire to determine if a tree will recover, especially larger, more valuable trees. In wildfire recovery, we need to Give Trees A Chance.

Identify: Know your trees. Mariposa County has a diverse mix of pine species, oak varieties, plus firs, manzanita, buckeyes, sycamores and more.

Knowing tree types supplies information about their coping mechanisms with fire, possibility of when they will bring on new leaves/needles, if they will re-sprout from the crown/base of the tree or have seeds that will sprout following a fire.

Other factors that impact tree survival include growth stage at the time of fire, how close together trees were, the chemical and physical characteristics – oil/wax content, vegetation underneath, the season and drought conditions.

Sources for tree identification: http://bit.ly/ucanroaks & https://www.calflora.org. There are also phone apps that can assist too.

Appraise: Leaf/needle scorch, root/trunk/branch damage, cambium (the inner layer between the bark and the wood) injury and bud death are signs of fire damage. These factors alone don’t indicate a tree is dead. A tree with blackened bark might look unsavable. The Ponderosa pine, as it matures, develops a thicker bark that is more fire-resistant. If the bark hasn’t been completely burned off the trunk, exposing the cambium, the tree may survive.

With blackened trees cut a quarter-sized piece, one-half inch through the bark. If you see a green or white moist cambial layer right below the bark, the tree will probably recuperate. Check burned branches- peel back a bit of bark. If there is a thin white/green layer those twigs/branches may be alive.

Look for burned roots around the base and several feet away. Roots are 6-8 inches below the surface. Gently unearth roots in a few locations. If they are supple, not

brittle/dried out, survival is good. If 50% of the roots are burned, the tree is unstable.

Burned leaves/needles might be attached to a live tree. New leaves may sprout from the crown/base of the tree. As witnessed in this picture of an oak from the Telegraph fire, the leaves over most of the tree were scorched but within a year, new green leaves sprouted.

Kris Randal Telegraph FireTelegraph Fire 2008 – photo credit, Kris Randal (pictured right)

It is important to look for buds. If they are green and moist, not dry, and brittle or twigs bend easily, survival is good.

https://anrcatalog.uncanr.edu Publication 8386

https://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu Publication 8445

https://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Fire_Information/Post-fire_Restoration/Landscape_Restoration_685

Support: Water trees once the scorched crust layer on soil is cared for. Slowly soak the entire area under the dripline and beyond a few feet to a depth of 12 inches. Do not water the trunk just the surrounding area. Check trees weekly. Water when the soil dries to 6 inches deep.

Protect trunks and large limbs from sunburn until leaf/needles regrow. Loosely wrap in permeable light-colored cloth or cardboard. During fall, prune dead, broken limbs.

https://naes.agnt.unr.edu/PMS/Pubs/1510_2004_96.pdf

Watch: Kris Randal, UC Master Gardener, CA Naturalist/Oak Specialist says dead trees have value too! More than 80 species of birds rely on dead trees for nesting and food. Acorn woodpeckers establish large granaries in dead oaks and conifers. Insects, fungi and more than 300 different types of wildlife rely on dead trees also. Consider leaving a few standing dead trees if they don’t present a hazard.

Spend the first year after fire watching as life surfaces once more. Be a patient partner, give trees AND nature a chance.

Next: To Seed or Not to Seed

Related:

Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery: Part 2

Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery

For assistance, contact our Helpline at (209) 966-7078 or at mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu. We are currently unable to take samples or meet with you in person but welcome pictures.

The U.C. Master Gardener Helpline is staffed; Tuesdays from 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and Thursdays from 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Clients may bring samples to the Agricultural Extension Office located at the Mariposa Fairgrounds, but the Master Gardener office is not open to the public. We will not be doing home visits this year due to UCANR restrictions.

Serving Mariposa County, including Greeley Hill, Coulterville, and Don Pedro
Please contact the helpline, or leave a message by phone at: (209) 966-7078
By email (send photos and questions for researched answers) to: mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu

For further gardening information and event announcements, please visit: UCMG website: https://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener
Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mariposamastergardeners

Master Gardener Office Location:
UC Cooperative Extension Office,
5009 Fairgrounds Road
Mariposa, CA 95338

Phone: (209) 966-2417
Email: mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu
Website: http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener

Visit the YouTube channel at UCCE Mariposa.

 

 

 

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Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery: Part 4

 

To Seed or Not to Seed? – The best approach to revegetation 

September 23, 2022 – Tery Susman, UC Master Gardener of Mariposa County – To seed or not to seed…that truly is the question.

Over the Garden FenceAdapted from the California Native Plant Society Fire Recovery Guide:

https://cnps.org/gove/priority-initiatives/fire-recovery

ANR Publication 8366 – Recovering from Wildfire: a Guide for California’s Forest Landowners: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=8386

Our human tendency is to fix what we perceive as a potential problem or as something “broken” or “untidy”. Our first thought is to reseed flowering plants and grasses on our fire scorched property to speed up vegetation establishment and soil stability; fixing what is “broken”. However, recent research has shown that seeding is not more effective than letting the area recover naturally; and given the risk of introducing invasive species, it is generally no longer recommended.

Natural regeneration gives the land a chance to recover on its own from the existing soil seed bank, nearby seed sources, and the resprouting of surviving perennial plants.

The research indicates two important points regarding reseeding grasses following wildfire:

  • This management practice is usually not cost-effective
  • It appears to create more problems than it solves

Potential negative effects of this practice include:

  • Seeds of invasive annual grasses like wild oats, ryegrass, and bromes develop shallow root systems that have little to no effect on slope stability
  • Seeding provides marginal effects/results in the first year following fire or not at all and no significant effect when slower native perennials are the plant of choice in the first year
  • Seeding uses up more ground moisture and reduces regrowth of native plants that regenerate from resident seed bank in the soil
  • Native grass seeding may cause gene pollution of resident native grasses especially if the grasses sowed were of a different gene type and collected in other areas of the state
  • Seeding may have long-term negative effects on the ecosystem by changing plant community composition over time
  • Seeding can attract pocket gophers leading to more opportunities for soil piping, a situation in which runoff and/or water-saturated soil enters gopher holes and erodes the soil below the ground
  • Seedbed preparation can cause disturbance to slopes, soil, pre-existing vegetation, and the surrounding seedbank
  • Seeding can give property owners a false sense of security that this one practice will mitigate most post-fire land issues

Seeding is no longer the recommended practice following a wildfire. However, many experts also agree that for specific erosion control problems, it may be necessary to seed native perennial grass to mitigate these issues.

MMG Seed Photo 2

Potential positive effects of seeding grasses:

  • Native or sterile non-native grasses can reduce non-native invasive plant encroachment by competition
  • Seeding can increase infiltration and reduce surface runoff and resulting soil erosion
  • Seeding may be used purposely to reduce shrub regrowth on range and pasture lands

Before you decide to plant grass seed on wildfire damaged soil and slopes, reach out to Natural Resources Conservation Services (NCRS) for a site-specific evaluation of your post- fire property needs:

Natural Resources Conservation Services – (209) 966-3431 www.nrcs.usda.gov.wps.portal.nrcs/site/ca/home

There are distinct reasons that may be addressed by seeding, but in general natural regeneration is the best option. Remember, lands have recovered many times after wildfires. Once human-made debris is removed, in most cases the land will heal on its own. It just takes time!

To seed or not to seed? In most cases the answer is not to seed. Next: YOU can help prevent wildfire spread.

Related:

Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery: Part 3

Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery: Part 2

Over the Garden Fence – The Partnership Between Humans and Nature During Fire Recovery

For assistance, contact our Helpline at (209) 966-7078 or at mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu. We are currently unable to take samples or meet with you in person but welcome pictures.

The U.C. Master Gardener Helpline is staffed; Tuesdays from 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. and Thursdays from 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Clients may bring samples to the Agricultural Extension Office located at the Mariposa Fairgrounds, but the Master Gardener office is not open to the public. We will not be doing home visits this year due to UCANR restrictions.

Serving Mariposa County, including Greeley Hill, Coulterville, and Don Pedro
Please contact the helpline, or leave a message by phone at: (209) 966-7078
By email (send photos and questions for researched answers) to: mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu

For further gardening information and event announcements, please visit: UCMG website: https://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener
Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mariposamastergardeners

Master Gardener Office Location:
UC Cooperative Extension Office,
5009 Fairgrounds Road
Mariposa, CA 95338

Phone: (209) 966-2417
Email: mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu
Website: http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener

Visit the YouTube channel at UCCE Mariposa.

 

 

 

 

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CalFire READY FOR WILDFIRE App Updated!

The READY FOR WILDFIRE web-based app from CalFire has been updated!

Use the app to create a personalized wildfire readiness plan and learn active incident information.

This new tool will enhance your wildfire preparation experience! We understand that your living situation is unique and our app will help you personalize your wildfire preparation steps. You’ll start by taking a short survey that will identify what actions you’ll need to take. While completing these actions, you can save, and share, your progress. And be sure to stay up to date on incidents by signing up for text messages! Use the link below to get started!

On February 29, 2020, this version will no longer be supported on Google Play. To access the new app, visit www.readyforwildfire.org or go to Ready for Wildfire Web App

 

 

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Study to Look at Benefits of Livestock for Fire Fuel Reduction and Fire Safety

February 15, 2020 – By Devii R. Rao, Acting San Benito County Director and Area Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor – Thanks to generous support from the newly formed California Cattle Council, UC Cooperative Extension will begin conducting a study to estimate how much fuel livestock consume across California and whether grazing decreases wildfire speed and intensity. Livestock grazing is the most widespread (and often the only feasible) management practice to reduce fire hazard from herbaceous fuels in California rangelands. Despite that, many public land management agencies do not allow livestock grazing on their lands. A study from 1983 found that the rate of combustion of grazed grasslands was reduced by 58%, but there is a dearth of research in this area. As we confront more frequent and devastating wildfires, we need better information about the effects of grazing on fire fuels in California.

We will use rangeland cattle movements from state brand inspection data, data from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Census, and County Crop Reports to estimate tons of forage (fuel) consumed by California livestock. We will combine these datasets and others to estimate if/how grazing influences how wildfire moves across the landscape. We expect that additional livestock grazing, especially at the wildland urban interface (WUI) could drastically reduce the speed and intensity of fire, providing firefighters far greater time to respond to wildfire. Results from our study will be available this summer.

Please feel free to contact Devii at drorao@ucanr.edu if you have questions about this project.

rangeland

Rangeland

Source: UC ANR

 

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