Fire Used to Benefit Plant and Animal Life

Fire plays critical role in maintaining healthy wildlife and habitats

ST. LOUIS—March 30, 2006—Thick, white smoke is seen high above the forest. The fire crew walks the break line watching carefully as the brush snaps and crackles. The fire is moving and the crew is pleased.

Far different than wildfires burning out of control in drought conditions, these fires are intentionally set by fire experts and are called prescribed or controlled burns. In Missouri, it is fire season, which means conditions are right to safely conduct these controlled burns. The spring rains have made the earth damp and moist and yet the grass and scrub brush will still burn. Rain is good, just not on the day of the burn.

“We work with a variety of agencies and landowners to conduct controlled burns in the spring and fall. In the spring, we are removing the old growth to allow for new growth. In the fall, we are able to clear out underbrush, tree remains, cedar and other scrub trees that prevent good growth like pine and oak trees,” said Blane Heumann, director of stewardship for the Nature Conservancy in Missouri. “Our woodlands are richer and our prairies more diverse because of these prescribed burns.”

In some areas where fire has been prevented from conducting its natural role in the environment, agencies and scientists are setting controlled fires to mimic natural fire and improve landscape health and community safety.

“One of the hard lessons we’ve learned is that eliminating or suppressing all fires actually increases the risk to people, damages natural habitats and drives up firefighting costs” said Susan Harris, state director for the Conservancy of Missouri.

Decades of forest management practices that have eliminated fire have caused many forests to become choked with thick undergrowth and small trees that naturally occurring fires would normally weed out. After years without fire, these forests become tinder boxes prone to hotter burns that are harder to control and pose a greater risk to communities. These intense fires can also severely damage plant and wildlife species.

“Many plant and animal species take advantage of fire to reproduce and thrive. After years of suppression, we now have to go back and ignite fires to mimic the natural fires these species depend on,” said Harris. “Our fire experts are rigorously trained to ensure that these prescribed burns not only restore the health of habitats, but are carefully managed to protect life and property.”

The Conservancy uses prescribed burns to control the spread of eastern red cedar, an aggressive plant invader that forms dense stands, encourages exotic grass species growth, and reduces forage production in pastures if left untreated. The prescribed fires also increase plant production, encourage growth of native grasses, enhance wildlife habitat and improve water quality.

In Missouri, the Conservancy works with the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources and local fire departments. This spring, prescribed fires have been burned in Cedar, St. Clair, Shannon, Carter and Harrison counties. Prescribed burns are planned for Laclede, Barton, Benton, Pettis and Jefferson counties.

“Normally we start our spring fire season mid-February. However, we are off to a slow start because of the drought, we had burn bans on much of the western side of the state. With last week rains, we’ll have a green light once the wind dies down,” said Heumann. In Missouri, the Conservancy conducts 20-30 prescribed burns each year.

“Altered fire regimes”—too much, too little or the wrong kind of fire—are a major threat to the Earth’s natural habitats and biodiversity. The Conservancy is working across the country and around the world with private citizens, government agencies and others to bring critical habitats back into balance with fire. Across the country, the Conservancy conducts prescribed burns each year on more than 100,000 acres of native habitats for ecological restoration and management, hazard fuels reduction, fire fighter training and scientific research purposes.