Good Things About Burning Grasslands

Controlled Burns

• A controlled burn, sometimes called a "prescribed" burn, is when a section of grassland is intentionally lit on fire. This fire is carefully controlled by establishing a perimeter of nonburnable material, which can either be a natural barrier such as a river or an area where burnable material is manually removed. Controlled burns are carefully coordinated with local fire departments and are ideally executed when winds are at a minimum.

Fire Prevention

• Though it sounds strange, burning grasslands is an important tool for fire prevention. This is because a prescribed burn consumes the dry brush that builds up over the years in a controlled way. If this brush is not periodically removed, an uncontrollable wildfire can result when it finally does catch fire. There is a direct correlation between the amount of time an area goes without burning and the intensity of the fire when one starts.

Population Control

• Burning an area of grassland can also help to control the population of invasive animal and plant species. These species often multiply without limits due to a lack of their natural competition, strangling out the more native species. When the area burns, the native plants and animals have an easier time recovering because they are more adapted to the area. Burns can also help to keep pest populations under control. Many rodents and other animals will not want to live in an area left exposed by a burn.

Nutrient and Seed Production

• Many plants require periodic fire to flourish. Some trees, for example, only release seeds when they detect the heat of a fire. This is because the dropped seeds will have very little competition in the post-burn environment. The fire weeds out weaker plants, allowing the stronger ones to thrive. Burns also help to recycle natural nutrients back into the soil, allowing the next generation of plants to grow back even stronger.