"Bonfire Palooza" Raises Questions

 A good Instagram comment (by "mangigoroka") responded to recent photos of the Illinois Beach "Chainsaw Bonfire Palooza." 

Chicago region restorationists seem bound and determined to burn every last scrap of course woody debris. Is there scientific research to back this practice of making everything "clean"? Why burn course woody debris that a prescribed fire left behind- shouldn't repeated prescribed burns take down the coarse woody debris to"natural levels"? Don't you need those logs for 1) carbon sequestration 2) habitat for fungi and invertebrates 3) "nurse logs" and microclimate for certain plants? I wonder if there has been an overcorrection for fire suppression. Messy landscapes have more structural diversity. No? I appreciate the restoration work. I just question the strong emphasis in "cleaning" everything up in the Chicago region.

We appreciate these questions. We can’t speak for all “the Chicago Region restorationists.” It doesn’t seem impossible that there may be “over-correction” at some sites, but we haven’t seen it. We can speak for our work to reduce log piles at Illinois Beach.  

Large areas south of Dead River are badly and increasingly degraded by piles of pine logs. For some reason, these logs and branches are very slow to degrade. They don’t burn, perhaps because they’ve killed the grasses and forbs that would have provided the fuel to ignite them. Crown vetch is one of the few species that thrives under the pines, and from there it marches destructively out into the surrounding vegetation. 

Notice that the lower leaves of the black oaks in the background have been killed by a recent fire. That fire, like many before, had little impact on the log piles. 

We suppose these logs would ultimately rot or burn or be covered by blowing sand if we waited long enough. But they cover a substantial area, and every acre here is precious. A few animal and species are dropping out, possibly because their populations are too small to adapt to changing conditions. So we try to help.

South of Dead River we don’t pile or burn any logs beside the pines. Sadly, at the rate we’re going, it would be decades before we got them all burned up. But we see benefits in doing what we can and strategizing on how to do better.

As for the work last week, which drew the thoughtful comment that starts this post, that was a special case, which is now pretty much finished. Many trees along the main Dune Trail heading south from the parking lot had been cut to prevent them from falling on the trail. There were too many, and they were causing problems similar to the pines south of Dead River, killing the pricelessly high-quality savanna flora underneath. There were also, along the Dead River Trail, brush piles where trees had been cut up and piled because they indeed had fallen across the trails. Some people give arguments in favor of brush piles for animals to hide in. But this is a Nature Preserve where we don't want artificial structures. There are still vast numbers of naturally fallen trees, which serve that function. 

The wood cut and burned at this weekend’s palooza were all along those two popular hiking trails, generating questions from park visitors and hikers who passed, and prompting good discussions among visitors and stewards. Removing that ugly and unnatural mess not only benefits the ecosystem, it also makes this beautiful savanna more visible to those who visit it, some of whom therefore may be motivated to help care for it. 

At noon, we had lunch break ... and a bit of planning and discussion. Our log seats for lunch were later added to the fires. Notice smoke from two fires behind us along the trail. Notice also that there is still plenty of natural downed wood, as a natural part of the ecosystem. 

We are tickled to report that under some logs we picked up we found - brace yourself - native cockroaches. We love them, along with the rest of the fairly unique flora and fauna that thrive here. We help all as best we can and are so happy to have these opportunities. 

Three more photos of the evil log piles and the struggling flora near them: 

Here Sharon Rosenzweig points to the killer crown vetch that proliferates under some of the piles. She will spray herbicide on it. 

            Quality flora survives near the piles, but it's thinner and weaker than farther away. 

Downy yellow painted cup is one of many endangered or rare species that would appreciate a bit more living space restored. 

For other Illinois Beach posts, click here and here. 

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Zoey Raines for good edits.