When Wind Cave National Park in southwest South Dakota conducted their American Elk prescribed fire in October, 2010 I dropped by to take some photos on the first and second days of the two-day project. On May 8, 2011 I visited the site again to see what it looked like six months later and took some additional photos. In two cases I attempted to duplicate photos taken earlier.
Here are the resource objectives for the project:
- Achieve 70 – 95% mortality (within 2 years postburn) in ponderosa pine seedlings.
- Achieve 50 – 70% mortality (within 2 years postburn) in pole size ponderosa pine (1 – 6” dbh).
- Achieve 20 – 50% mortality (within 2 years postburn) in ponderosa pine > 6” dbh.
- Achieve > 40% reduction (immediate postburn) in 100 & 1000 hr. fuel loading.
- Improve prairie dog habitat by increasing native grass and forb cover.
- Decrease encroachment of ponderosa pine regeneration at the forest-prairie ecotone.
