Fire in North American Wetland Ecosystems and Fire-Wildlife Relations: An Annotated Bibliography

50. Cox, J. R., and H. L. Morton. 1985. Aboveground biomass quantities and 
         livestock production at big sacaton riparian areas in southeastern 
         Arizona. Pages 305-309 in R.R. Johnson, C.D. Ziebell, D.R. Patton, P.F. 
         Ffolliott, and R.H. Hamre, tech. coords. Riparian ecosystems and their 
         management: reconciling conflicting uses (First North American Riparian 
         Conference), 16-18 April 1985, Tucson, AZ. U.S. For. Serv. Gen. Tech. 
         Rep. RM120.

Two big sacaton grassland riparian sites were burned and mowed. Both treatments reduced green biomass production; stocking rates were only one-third as high as on untreated pastures. In earlier periods before channelization in the grasslands, burning was a viable management scheme because of the extended growing season of big sacaton in flooded areas. Now, conditions have changed to the point that burning is not always the best choice. Currently, the best short-term management for livestock is to decrease carrying capacity and increase daily gains by burning in late winter and grazing in spring-summer. The best long-term management of the resource, however, iB to discontinue late winter burning and mowing and increase carrying capacity during the spring-summer grazing period. [K-L-S]

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