by Hugh Aljoe, Russell Stevens, Charles Griffith

Timber and brush comprise about 58 percent of the land area on the Coffey Ranch. Although this aspect of the resource is very important to the wildlife, it inhibits the ranch's total forage production. We used prescribed fire as a tool to manage for a better balance and distribution of woody and herbaceous plant communities on several areas of the ranch. The first fire treatments were applied on two areas in February and March of 1988. The goal for these two areas was to evaluate the effects of fire frequency on the reduction of the woody plant community.

Two fire frequency treatments were established. We applied prescribed fire each year to Pasture 16W and every other year to Pasture 16E. Transects were randomly established n each of these paddocks in 1993 to begin monitoring changes in canopy cover within the two areas. The first transects taken in 1993 were conducted in November. We recorded information from all the transects in May or June in subsequent years. We suspect that the relatively low readings for canopy coverage in 1993 (Figure 8) were due to the fact that those measurements were taken after some leaf drop had occurred. Although the data reveal a significant reduction in canopy cover in both paddocks, we believe this reduction is overestimated. We also think there are greater vegetative differences between paddocks 16E and 16W than indicated by the data, as illustrated by the photos taken of paddocks 16E and 16W in 1996 (shown with Figure 8). Based on the past data, we are reevaluating our sampling method for measuring change in canopy cover over time. 1994 transect data reveal what we thought we had been observing. Paddock 16E, burned every other year, still had a significantly higher brush canopy coverage than 16W. Depending upon fire intensity, we feel brush reduction can be as effective with at least an every-other-year burn as one every year. The major woody plant species on the two areas are post oak, Quercus stellata, and black oak, Quercus velutina. These species have been reduced in both paddocks by 18 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Figure 9. Burning costs/acre on timber. Coffey Ranch 1996 (Pastures 16E & 16W)
Cost item		Cost		Total
Fuel (Drip torch, fire truck, tractor, 4-wheeler, sprayers)
Diesel -- 35 gal. @ $1.05/gal.		36.75
Gasoline -- 45 gal. @ $1.03/gal		46.35		$83.10
Fireguard Preparation
Mowing -- 13 man hours @ $6/hr.		78.00
Raking -- 96 man hours @ $6/hr.		576.00
Dozing -- 15 hours at $40/hr. (8-yr. life)		75.00		729.00
Labor for Actual Burn
6 men @ $6/hr., 5 burns
156 man hours @ $6/hr.				936.00
Tool Use Cost Purchase Basis (5-yr. life)
2 drip torches, $190/5		38.00
4 fire rakes, $84/5		16.80
3 back pack sprayers, $405/5		81.00		135.80
Equipment Cost -- Rental Basis (0.008 x equipment cost)
4-wheeler, $40/day (1.1 days)		44.00
4-wheeler sprayer, $12/day (1.1 days)		13.20
Cattle sprayer, $8/day (1.1 days)		8.80
Brush hog (1 day)		21.60
Tractor, $234/day (1.1 days)		257.40
Fire truck, $228/day (1.1 days)		250.80
Fire igniter, $0.89/box		0.89		596.69
Grazing Loss Cost -- lease rate
607.83 ac. ($5/ac.) = $3,039.15/yr.
$3,039.15/yr. divided by 9 AUD/ac/yr.				337.68
Total Cost				$2,817.27
Total Acres Burned				608
Total Coast per Acre				$4.64

Burning has been conducted on several other herbaceous plant communities as well. The objectives of these burns are to improve forage quality and to contain woody plant encroachment. Fire is one of nature's tools to advance the evolution of native grasslands. Pastures are monitored annually to receive a fire treatment in order to reach the landscape goals on the Coffey ranch.

Coffey Ranch Main Page
The Herbaceous Plant Community
Total Animal Unit Days of Grazing
Stocking Rates
Managing the Woody Plant Community
Wildlife Production

Source: 1997 Noble Foundation Annual Report