Maintenance
The biggest threat to preventing the establishment of a native savanna community is non-native and aggressive species outcompeting slower growing native species. Diligent maintenance and monitoring of the restored community is required for the first few years to ensure successful establishment. Typically, an ecological professional will perform an annual maintenance consultation for the first four or five years. The professional will advise on maintenance practices including treatment of invasive species and identification of native species, as well as mowing and prescribed burn frequency cycles. During the first growing season, the native species will use most of their energy into developing their root systems and will not grow very tall. There will not likely be enough vegetative matter to carry a prescribed burn during the first two years of establishment so mowing will be an important maintenance tool for this time. Along with mowing, the basin will be maintained with the use of herbicide spot treatments using a low-volume foliar spray for the first few growing seasons.
By approximately 2013, the community will be more established and a prescribed controlled burn will be the primary maintenance tool. Annual burning is used to control undesirable woody, cool-season vegetation and stimulate growth of desirable, warm-season species. Many native species rely on fire and heat for germination, so a controlled burn is necessary for successful establishment. After 2015, an ecological professional will inspect the basin and develop a reduced burn frequency cycle that includes a prescribed burn once every three to four years. Appropriate firebreaks will be established prior to the burn in order to contain the fire in a controlled area. Firebreaks are anything that will stop a fire and can range from a plowed field, a road, or a mowed path.
