Fire In-Depth
Fire In-Depth is designed for students who want to learn more about fire.
- Cultural Interpretations
- Different Ecosystems
- Fire Behavior
- Fire and Ecosystems
- Fire Classifications
- Fire Ecology
- Fire Effects Monitoring
- Fire Engines
- Fire Management Personnel
- Fire Monitors
- Fire Spread
- Fire Suppression
- Fire Triangle
- Fire Watches & Warnings
- Fireline Construction
- Hazardous Fuel Reduction
- Historic Fires
- Human Uses of Fire
- Incident Command System (ICS)
- Incident Command System Levels
- Preparedness Levels
- Prescribed Fire
- Prevention History
- The Effects of Fire
- Understanding Fire Danger
- Wildfire Causes
- Wildland Fire Evaluation
Different Ecosystems:
Tallgrass Prairie: Midwest | Chaparral: California & Southwest | Ponderosa Pine: West | Douglas Fir: West | Loblolly & Shortleaf Pine: South | Jack Pine: Great Lakes States
Tallgrass Prairie: Midwestern United States
Historically, tallgrass prairies covered parts of Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas and extended into the more eastern states in the Midwest. Tallgrass prairie is made up primarily of grasses and forbs, with occasional shrubs and trees and is further characterized by relatively moist soils. Prairies depend on fire to maintain the ecosystem stability and diversity.
One benefit of fire in this community is the elimination of invasive plants, thereby helping to shape and maintain the prairie. In most managed prairies, prescribed fire is introduced on a two to three year cycle. Grassland fires can cover large areas in a short period of time.
Prairies depend on fire to maintain the ecosystem stability and diversity
The time of year during which these fires are ignited is of critical importance. Plant recovery following a prairie fire is fastest in the spring and fall when soil moisture is high and plants are not producing seeds. Growth of native species such as big bluestem, little bluestem and Indian grass increases significantly following a fire. Introduced species that initiate growth earlier in the spring and continue growing later in the fall than native species can be placed at a disadvantage by properly timed spring and fall fires, since the introduced species do not grow as quickly under these conditions.
If fire was excluded, the tallgrass prairie would vanish, and shrubs, trees and exotic grasses would dominate the ecosystem. Before European settlement of the grassland, naturally occurring fire helped to maintain the grasslands. Today many of the prairies that remain are managed by prescribed burning.
