Fire Ecology

Fire Ecology. . , Fire is as much a part of the prairie landscape as grass. Historically, fire occurred naturally, but the prairie's native people also used fire, understanding that the resulting new growth would attract game for hunting. While grasses and forbs respond well to fire, even native prairie tree species have evolved to withstand fire; for example, the bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) has very thick bark to protect the inner life-giving layers of the tree. , Underneath the surface, the prairie soil is thick with the dense and deep root systems of the prairie's grasses and shrubs. As much as two-thirds of a prairie's biomass is underground. Perennial grass big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), for example, has roots that can extend up to ten feet below the ground. Lead plant (Amorpha canescens) and compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) reach nearly fifteen feet!, While the dried grass above ground provides fuel for fire, the tangle of roots below ground helps prairie plants and grasses regrow in the nutrient-rich ash that the fire leaves behind., We utilize fire on the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie to help manage invasive plants and trees, like Eastern Red Cedar (Juniper virginiana), and to promote the regrowth of valuable native prairie plants.