Honey mesquite: No honey mesquite trees were killed by fire. Most were top-killed but sprouted soon after fire. Six months after the fire, sprouts were up to 4 feet tall.

Consumption of honey mesquite logs by fire was greater for large (2-6 inches) than small (<2 inches) logs in chained tobosagrass and buffalograss stands due to the loose bark on large logs giving them a greater surface area to volume ratio of exposed fuel. A greater proportion of logs was consumed in tobosagrass stands than buffalograss stands because of higher fine fuel loads in tobosagrass stands. Log consumption increased linearly as fine fuel loads increased: when <1,200 pounds/acre of fine fuels was present, no logs were consumed; when >1,600 pounds/acre of fine fuels was present, >50% of logs were consumed [2,3].

Tree cholla: During the 1st and 2nd postfire growing seasons, a higher percentage of tree cholla plants had been killed by fire in tobosagrass than buffalograss stands in both chained and unchained areas due to higher burning temperatures in tobosagrass stands (table 1) [2,3]. During the 1st postfire growing season, many tree cholla plants had sprouted on both sites, averaging 5 sprouts/plant [2]. Tree cholla mortality increased substantially in all stands during the 2nd postfire growing season, although statistical comparisons were not provided. This result was attributed to drought and insect and small mammal herbivory. Short tree cholla plants always had greater mortality than tall tree cholla plants, although differences were significant only in unchained areas. The authors suggested that mortality was statistically similar between short and tall tree cholla plants in chained areas because most tree cholla plants were lying close to the ground [2,3].

Tulip pricklypear: First postfire growing season mortality of tulip pricklypear was similar in chained and unchained tobosagrass stands. In buffalograss stands, its mortality was greater in chained than unchained stands because most pricklypear plants were lying close to the ground in chained areas and because patches of buffalograss were denser, and thus fine fuel loads were greater, in chained than unchained stands. During the 1st postfire growing season, tulip pricklypear mortality in tobosagrass and buffalograss stands was higher for small plants than large plants (table 2) [2,3].

During the 2nd postfire growing season, tulip pricklypear mortality increased substantially in both stands, with >50% killed in all treated stands. Its mortality in tobosagrass stands was similar in chained and unchained stands. In buffalograss stands, mortality remained higher in chained than unchained stands. Increased mortality during the 2nd postfire growing season was attributed to drought and insect and small mammal herbivory. There were no differences in mortality between small and large plants by the end of the 2nd growing season [2,3].

Tobosagrass: Grass production in tobosagrass stands increased 3-fold the 1st growing season after fire (table 3). Tobosagrass's unpalatable old growth was removed by burning [2,3]. New growth following fire was tender and succulent and cattle preferred it to buffalograss 3 months after fire. Total tobosagrass grazed by cattle on the burned area 3 months after fire was 2,388 pounds/acre, while only 371 pounds/acre were grazed on the control. Five months after fire, when tobosagrass was dry, cattle preferred buffalograss to tobosagrass and grazed only small amounts of tobosagrass on burned and unburned control stands. Seven months after fire, after vegetation green-up, total tobosagrass grazed by cattle on the burned area was 431 pounds/acre, while only 122 pounds/acre was grazed on the unburned control [2].

Buffalograss: The fire had no effect on grass production in buffalograss stands the 1st growing season after fire (table 3) [3]. Three months after fire, cattle preferred tobosagrass to buffalograss. Total buffalograss grazed by cattle on the burned area 3 months after fire was 873 pounds/acre, while only 473 pounds/acre were grazed on the unburned control. Five months after fire, when buffalograss was dry, cattle preferred buffalograss to tobosagrass but grazed only small amounts of buffalograss on burned and unburned control stands because cattle had shifted to other grass species. Seven months after fire, after vegetation green-up, total buffalograss grazed by cattle on the burned area was 201 pounds/acre, while 182 pounds/acre was grazed on the control [3].

Forbs: Production (pounds/acre) of several annual herbs, including prairie broomweed and horsetail conyza tended to be lower on burned than unburned areas during the 1st growing season. False mesquite production was higher on burned than unburned areas. Warty euphorbia, western ragweed, and evax occurred on unburned areas but were absent from burned areas (table 3) [2,3].