Fire is an important and long-used management tool to maintain fire-dependent ecosystems such as alvar, including on Pelee Island. Both naturally occurring (e.g., by lightning strikes) and intentionally set, traditional and prescribed burns have been used to revitalize alvar habitat, keeping it open and free of dense shrubbery, and allowing rare plants and animals to flourish.
On September 4, 2024, Ontario Nature conducted a prescribed burn at Stone Road Alvar Nature Reserve. This is the sixth prescribed burn conducted on part of this nature reserve in the last 50 years, which helps to maintain and restore the alvar ecosystem by:
Decreasing the abundance of dense woody shrubs, maintaining open alvar spaces;
Reducing invasive species as much as possible, allowing native alvar species to reestablish; and
Promoting an ideal bed for the fall seed drop, promoting diverse seed growth.
Since 2018, Ontario Nature has partnered with academic institutions and other conservation organizations on Pelee Island to monitor several species groups for their response to prescribed burns.
Pre- and post-burn monitoring data is used to understand the needs and habitat requirements of species at risk and can inform decisions on the frequency, timing, intensity and patchiness of a planned burn. In early 2024, we published a best management guide for conducting prescribed burns in species at risk habitats, which has helped guide the planning process for this project.
Ontario Nature contracted experienced fire professionals to conduct a safe and effective prescribed burn, which also included the construction of fire break boundaries a few weeks prior to the burn date. The burn crew removed vegetation and exposed the bare ground or mineral soil around the perimeter of the site to create a barrier to contain the burn and reduce fuel along the site edges.
Following wildlife sweeps and a safety briefing, ignition began just after noon. A low-intensity fire spread slowly across the alvar over the next six hours. It was close to sunset as Ontario Nature staff walked the site with the burn crew once fire suppression was completed.
Ontario Nature and partners will continue to monitor the alvar to document the response and recovery following the prescribed burn, which may take several years to fully observe. As some of the most species-rich habitats in the world, this type of alvar restoration work is crucial in maintaining biodiversity in Ontario and supporting numerous rare species.
Jenna Quinn joined Ontario Nature in March 2023 as the conservation science manager. She works in collaboration with others on land stewardship, research, and community science initiatives that advance conservation of wild species and spaces in Ontario.
