Desert Natural Area Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Barrens Habitat Restoration

Prescribed burn anticipated one day between  October 16 – December 20th of this year.

Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) and the City of Marlborough Conservation Commission (MCC) are embarking on a critical land stewardship project to restore pitch pine-scrub oak barrens to the Desert Natural Area.   This is a 14-acre area which straddles land owned by SVT in Memorial Forest and City of Marlborough Conservation land.  The first phase of the project - cutting and shredding small- medium trees and all shrubs - was completed in March of this year.   The prescribed burn is now scheduled for this fall and can happen any time from  October 16, 2013 through December 20, 2013.     The burn will be directed by a Fire Boss Joel Carlson of Northeast Forest and Fire Management LLC with assistance from the state Fire marshall and coordination with the local fire departments.    This project will also reduce fuel loads on this property and thus reduce the threat of an uncontrolled wildfire. 

The exact date of the burn must be determined based on specified conditions that must be in place for safe burn conditions.  These conditions include, weather, wind direction, moisture in the soil, and a list of other conditions that will allow a green light to be granted.   The actual burn will only take one day, and will be monitored for several weeks after to ensure the fire is completely out.

A full project description, answers to frequently asked questions, and links to additional information can be found at the Desert Natural Area Habitat Restoration web page at www.svtweb.org/DesertNaturalArea.  This site will be updated with new information as the project progresses.

The Desert Natural area is known for its well-drained, sandy soils in which you will find oak and white pine woodlands with patches of pitch pine-scrub oak woods -- a nationally imperiled habitat.  Pitch pine-scrub oak barrens were once much more widespread at the Desert, maintained by periodic fires.  The barrens habitat provides homes for birds such as eastern towhee, prairie warbler, and whip-poor-will, which have been experiencing population declines in recent years.  Whip-poor-wills were recently listed as a species of Special Concern in Massachusetts. The sandy soils and wetlands also provide great homes and nesting grounds for turtles.

This habitat has been in decline at this site due to fire suppression and lack of disturbance.  Historically fire is a natural occurrence in Pine Barrens, and the community is fire adapted.  Pitch pine, for example, has several adaptations due to its close association with areas experiencing frequent fire.  Its thick bark protects the living tissue and buds from being damaged by fire. Fire actually stimulates the resurgence of young healthy vegetation. Scrub oak and huckleberry, for example, sprout readily from their root crowns.  Certain plants will not germinate without being scorched by fire.  The cones of some evergreen trees, like pitch pine, must be exposed to high temperatures to release their seeds.

After years of lying dormant under layers of accumulated pine needles and forest debris, fire dependent native plant species are able to return after the fire. Thinning of the overstory also allows more sun to reach the seeds of these plants.  In addition, fire creates ash which releases nutrients into the soil resulting in a lush growth of plants for a few years after the fire. 

The use of prescribed fire in habitat restoration achieves a higher quality result than the use of mechanical means, such as mowing and cutting of trees, alone. The use of prescribed fire has the very important advantage of reducing the fuel load in the forest and therefore also reducing the risk of an uncontrolled wildfire. In addition to improving public and firefighter safety by reducing the chance of a wildfire, a controlled burn provides training opportunities for local fire departments in wildfire control.

Prescribed fire is a controlled burn used in habitat management that is planned, ignited and managed by professional fire managers.  It is one of the most effective tools for restoring healthy ecosystems while avoiding the environmental damage that can be caused by unplanned wildfire.  

For additional questions, please contact either Priscilla Ryder, Conservation Officer,           

City of Marlborough, 508-460-3768, pryder@marlborough-ma.gov or Laura Mattei,

Director of Stewardship, Sudbury Valley Trustees, 978-443-5588, ext. 134, lmattei@svtweb.org.

Sudbury Valley Trustees is a regional land trust that conserves land and protects wildlife habitat in the Concord, Assabet, and Sudbury river basin for the benefit of present and future generations.