FIRE EFFECTS ON A MONTANE SIERRA-NEVADA MEADOW

The effects of a late fall burn on a mountain meadow at Grover Hot Spr ings State Park, California, were evaluated. Both wet (Carex sp. domin ated) and dry (Poa sp. dominated) meadow plots were burned by a low to moderate intensity fire in mid-November 1987. Fire resulted in few de tectable changes in species composition 10.5 months later. Postfire de creases in Poa sp. and Juncus sp., and increases in Carex sp. and Muhl enbergia sp. were observed. Burning increased bare ground area by more than three fold in both wet and dry plots, but there was no significa nt invasion of burned areas by exotic species after the fire. Under hi gh soil moisture conditions, burning resulted in relatively little cha nge in meadow vegetation.