About Patch Burning
Patch burning is the purposeful grazing of a section of an landscape or management unit that has been prescribed burned, and then burning another section to move the grazing pressure, thus creating a shifting mosaic on the landscape or management unit (Figure 3). Patch burning allows livestock to freely select the most recently burned part of a unit or pasture. Livestock spend 75% of their time on these patches and typically evenly utilize all the palatable plants within the entire burned patch. Then within 6-12 months burn another portion of the unit. This will shift the focal grazing point to the new burn patch. After the heavy utilization (1.5-2.5 years post burn) a transition state of bare ground, forbs, and low amounts of standing biomass and litter occurs. Within 2.5 -3 years post burn the patch receives very little grazing pressure, which allows biomass and litter to accumulate (Figure 3). This patch is then ready to be burned and grazed again. This is all accomplished without fences or other management input besides the use of prescribed fire.
Figure 3. Patch burning is the purposeful grazing of a section of an landscape or management unit that has been prescribed burned, and then burning another section to move the grazing pressure, thus creating a shifting mosaic on the landscape or management unit.
Caption: Cattle spend 75% of the time grazing on the most recently burned patches. This allows the other patches to recover. Photo Samuel D. Fuhlendorf.
Why Implement Patch Burning?
In several of the comparisons between patch burning and traditional management, no differences were found between the two practices. So, if patch burning and traditional management do not differ, why use patch burning?
We have found we can achieve more consistently the following outcomes with patch burning than with traditional management:
- Dependable use of prescribed fires
- Greater fuel loads for prescribed burning
- Ability to use prescribed burning without deferring grazing before burning
- Does not require gathering or moving cattle before burning
- Control of invasive plants without chemical or mechanical methods
- Creation of a heterogeneous landscape that provides economic, environmental, and ecological benefits
- Provides rest for each portion of a pasture for 2 to 3 years
- Achieve uniform distribution of grazing use over the entire pasture (over a period of years)
- Manage for drought by stockpiling forage
- Requires feeding less protein supplement in the winter
- Provide habitat for species of wildlife native to grassland, shrublands or forestlands
With patch burning all of the above mentioned benefits are attainable. So remember there may be several aspects of patch burning that show no difference to traditional management, but the overall benefits to the land and animals that use it are greater with patch burning.
With patch burning, land managers can control invasive plants without chemical or mechanical methods, create a heterogeneous landscape that provides economic, environmental, and ecological benefits, rest each portion of a pasture for 2 to 3 years, and achieve uniform distribution of grazing use over the entire pasture (over a period of years). Photo Stephen Winters.
How to Implement Patch Burning
Selecting the proper stocking rate on the unit is the most important step when planning a patch burn program. Most land managers believe that “more is better”, but research demonstrates that maximum net return/acre occurs at a moderate stocking rate (Figure 17). For the benefit of livestock, plant community, and wildlife, proper stocking rate is crucial. Stocking rate is also important in patch burning because once patch burning is implemented, grazing is not deferred either before or after burning, and the livestock are left on the pasture the entire time (even while burning). Therefore, the proper stocking rate will provide two contrasting patch types: 1) a grazing lawn in the most recently burned patch, and 2) ungrazed grasses in the patch with the greatest time since the last burn (least recently burned patch). If stocking rate is too light, a grazing lawn will not occur in the most recently burned patch (i.e., the grass will be too tall to qualify as a “lawn”). If stocking rate is too heavy, grazing will occur in the least recently burned patch, and in the extreme, this patch will not carry a fire.
The next decision is to determine the fire return interval. In areas of higher rainfall (30+ inches per year), a fire return interval of three years has been used effectively. While in drier regions, a four year fire return interval might provide better results.
Once the fire return interval has been determined the land manager may want to consider burning in different seasons of the year. Growing season burns can be very beneficial for wildlife and livestock. For example, we found that a cow-calf enterprise can benefit with burning in both the dormant and growing season because the contrasting burn seasons provides patches with higher quality forage during these different times of the year.
After deciding on fire return interval and burning season, simply divide the pasture into the appropriate number of burn units. For example (Figure 18), for a three year fire return interval and burning in the both the dormant and growing season, divide the pasture into six patches. The patches do not have to be the exact same size, and patch boundaries can utilize existing county or pasture roads, creeks, or other natural barriers to reduce fire break construction and to facilitate safer and easier burning.
Figure 17. Selecting a proper stocking rate is the most important decision when implementing patch burning. Most land managers believe that “more is better”, but research demonstrates that maximum net return per acre occurs at a moderate stocking rate.
Figure 18. An example of patch burning designed for a three-year fire frequency and two burning seasons. This design uses existing pasture roads, creeks, and some establishment of permanent lines for fire breaks.
Frequently Asked Questions & Other Resources
There are many questions land managers have about patch burning, such as what season and frequency of burning (fire return interval) is required in patch burning? With the answer depending upon the goals and objectives of the land manager.
- How large/small an area will it work on?
- Will patch burning work in more arid parts of the country?
- Will patch burning work on reconstructed prairie or “go back lands”?
- Does patch burning require buffalo to work?
- Can mowing be used effectively to replace grazing?
- What season and frequency of burning (fire return interval) is required in patch burning?
- What stocking rate of cattle is required for successful application of patch burning?
- Will patch burning work on CRP, WRP, and introduced pasture grasses?
- What size should the burn patches be?
- Patch Burning Research & Demonstration Areas
- Resources