Prescribed burning is widely accepted as a critical management tool in the tallgrass prairie, however, the ecological effects of burning at different times of the season are poorly understood. In the Kansas Flint Hills, timing of fire is an important management issue that carries socio-economic as well as ecological implications.
Fuels management typically involves changing fuel structure or amount. Fuels management in woodlands conjures up visions of burning, tree felling, and mastication among other techniques, but grassland fuels management requires very different approaches.
Climate change has greatly impacted rangeland systems. Changes in rangelands are having dramatic effects on both social and ecological systems. Increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have contributed to a 1° C increase in average global temperature since the industrial revolution.
One quantitative approach to prioritizing management actions uses a stepwise process. It starts by quantifying thresholds at which abrupt changes occur within ecological systems. In the case of prescribed fire in grasslands, thresholds can represent the fire intensity that results in death of a target species.
Oak savannas provide important habitat for plant and animal species adapted to this distinct, but rare ecosystem. Historically, oak savanna sustained bison and elk, but now it also plays a role in cattle
production in some parts of the country.
The phenomenon of grassland conversion to shrublands and woodlands—known as woody plant encroachment—continues to receive increasing attention in rangelands worldwide.
Researchers have established that fire and grazing in-fluence structure and function of rangeland ecosystems. Fire’s effects in combination with grazing management varies throughout the Great Plains.
Land managers and the public often have the perception that, although prescribed fire assists in management of fire-dependent landscapes, it presents greater risks than the use of other land management tools, such as mechanical removal.
On nearly every continent, prior and current cultures have practiced land management using fire. This publication compares fire practices in these traditional fire cultures and how they differ from the way modern management uses fire.
Grasslands have supported a broad array of life over the millennia. Not only have they supported rich biodiversity, but also they shaped the region’s stream flow and groundwater hydrology, contributed to carbon sequestration, and offered many environmental benefits. Additionally, grasslands have provided the basis for agricultural and livestock production.
