The Conservancy engages in fire management strategies to achieve one or more goals at a site or across a landscape, usually related to ecosystem restoration or maintenance. These goals are stated in the Site Fire Management Plan. It is important to establish goals that are specific enough to guide fire application at the site. It is equally as important to establish measures for assessing progress toward fire management goals. Typically, these measures and the process for assessing them are developed into a monitoring plan or procedure. Although measures may be identified in the Conservation Action Plan, they may not be specific enough to guide fire application and provide enough information to adapt Prescribed Fire Burn Unit plans to achieve desired results.

Monitoring of fire effects takes place at multiple scales and time frames. An assessment should take place after each prescribed burn to determine first order fire effects, such as scorch, char, and consumption. Long-term monitoring through use of transects, plots, or photo points will help the manager determine progress toward fire management goals.

The measures and monitoring process should be defined before prescribed fire is applied to a site. Resulting data should be used to adapt treatment prescriptions to achieve desired results.

Last updated November 10, 2005