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- Title
The Effects of Indigenous Prescribed Fire on Herpetofauna and Small Mammals in Two Central Valley California Riparian Ecosystems.
- Authors
Hankins, Don L.
- Abstract
The role of fire in riparian ecosystems of California's Central Valley is poorly documented. However, it is known that Native Americans have used fire in these ecosystems for millennia to manage riparian resources. The effects of such indigenous management practices on wildlife are important to understand when considering the restoration of fire as a process in riparian ecosystems. The objectives of this research were to work with California Indian cultural practitioners to implement and study the effects of culturally appropriate prescribed fire on herpetofauna and small mammals utilizing riparian ecosystems in central California, and to determine the utility to contemporary resource management and conservation practices. The results suggest that fall burning had a significant effect on trap captures and the number of species captured, resulting in greater abundance and diversity in burned areas. Thus, fall burning may be a useful tool in managing and conserving herpetofauna and small mammal biodiversity.
- Subjects
CALIFORNIA; PRESCRIBED burning; REPTILES; MAMMALS; BIOTIC communities; BIODIVERSITY
- Publication
California Geographer, 2009, Vol 49, p31
- ISSN
0575-5700
- Publication type
Article