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Re: Sporobolus heterolepis and fire

This year while burning some remnants, I noticed that when prairie sod here
has Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed grass) and when it hasn't been
burned for a number of years, that the clumps of dropseed burn quite a bit
longer due to accumulated duff, than they do when they are regularly
burned. The clumps are burning long after the rest is out. It becomes a
peat fire, basically. And apparently it can kill the clump of dropseed.
With the death of the dropseed goes the habitat of the red-tailed
leafhopper (federally listed). Here is a case when lack of fire can most
likely be quite detrimental to an insect population. This is just
conjectural, just an observation. I have no data to prove it. It got me
thinking and I wondered what others thought. Also, it led me to going
around and using water to put out the dropseed fires in hopes of saving the
plant. With regular fire, you don't have to do this. 


Bob Wernerehl
8237 Sweeny Road
Barneveld, WI 53507
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