Ashland University science majors and faculty spent a couple of hours in early April doing a planned burn at the
Rupp Preserve. This restored prairie has had sections burned twice before, and this year's section was ready for its turn. Periodic fires in prairie ecosystems recycle mineral nutrients, favor growth of fire-adapted prairie species, and suppress growth of woody plants.
Dick Stoffer, Professor of Biology and AU Environmental Preserve Manager, was in charge of the burn, while several students and a few other faculty participated.
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| Desi Kierner (AU'13, Environmental Science/Biology), Shawn Probst
(AU'13, Biology), and Cassie Nix (AU'14, Environmental
Science/Biology/Toxicology) get their back-pack water supplies ready to
work |
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| Dick Stoffer starts extending the tail fire along the southern edge of
the quadrat, while Chris Bierman (AU'14, Biology) and Cassie Nix watch
for small fires outside the plot boundaries |
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| Cassie Nix puts water on a hotspot at the SE corner |
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| The head fire (traveling with the wind) did not last long. |
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| The burn site when finished. |
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