crease of fir and cedar, may contritiat© to a more closed forest that will 

 \>e Aisastrmis to., tiie deer population. The propor ratio of simmer to winter 

 range could "be regulated, hovever, l>y Gontlmied logging md opening of 

 timber areaa, 



A thousand -acre s:<perimQii.tal "bum on the Lassen Kational IPorost, 

 Calif., had the following effects upon wildlifei 



1, Doer loft the area before tho fire and .ret\irned in incroasing 

 niiKibors tho year after, attracted, no doubt» by new sprouting shrubs and. 

 incroased annual vegetation. 



2, All rabbits, chiefly cottontails ( Sylvila^^ s) , were killed, or 

 tho fow sarvivors moved off immediately after tho firo. Many carcasses 

 were found. 



3. Chipmunks were markedly reduced bmt not extirpated. Breeding 

 stocks survived in some of the rocky outcroppings, 



4. Mice of the genus Peromyscu s, altho-ugh markedly reduced in num- 

 bers, survived the hottest fire. This was indicated by the fact that 



2 days aftor the fire, adults and their litterff of young were caught in 

 traps iu the center of the burned area. Doubtless these mice escaped the 

 heat by going into deeper burrovs. 



After the fire, two generations of young ' P eromy scus were produced, 

 thus augcaenting tlie population of those sood-eating rodents, Thero was 

 a good seed crop of ponderora, Jeffrey, and even sugar pine, and seed waa 

 well scattered over the bu.:-n. Mice were numerous enough, however, to pick 

 up most of the seed, so that only a small quantity remained to germinate. 

 Brush of tho kinds that ordinarily follow firg ( ArctostaplrQrlos , Ceanothus , 

 and Prunus) has made good growth, producing compotition for the conifer 

 seedlings. If this growth continues it will result in dense grov/th favor- 

 able to timber production but of limited value to game. Seed consumption 

 by rodents greatly reduces the number of seedlings that might spring,. up on 

 brushfields after a burn. 



Burns discourage rabbits for several years. Perhaps lack of pro- 

 tective cover is the factor responsible, for the rabbit-food supply is 

 improved in quality, quantity, aiKi diversity by the bums. In 1935 a 

 small eaiperimental burn was immediately planted to ponderosa pine, using ' 

 the forester's 1-1 stock, and an adjoining unburned area also was- planted* 

 Eabbits clipped 68 pacccnt of the plants on the green brush area and- only 

 33 percent o& tho burned area. In the spring of 1937 tho areas wore intor- 

 planted, and the results in clipped seedlings were 16 percent on tho burned 

 area and 61 percent on the green brush area. In many sections of the Cali- 

 fornia pine forests, rabbits cause considerable damage to seedling and 

 planted stock of pine by cutting off and eating the young trees. Some 

 seedlings are killed, while others are retarded in growth, the terminal 

 bud being taken out, follovring vAiich, in iiiBO, one of the lai^rals hecomos 



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