Fighting fire with fire: Using prescribed fire in the Southeast to adapt to climate change

A burn in the Longleaf Pine

The Longleaf Alliance

Fire and climate change in the Southeast

Frequent, low intensity surface fires are a natural part of most ecosystems of the Southeast US. They help maintain the rich biodiversity of the area and hundreds of species found nowhere else in the world. Increasing temperatures and a long history of fire exclusion are now resulting in unusually large and intense fires.

People throughout the Southeast are coming together to fight climate change by fighting fire with fire. By using prescribed fire to bring back the low intensity surface fires of the past, both people and the ecosystems they depend on will be more resilient to our new climate future.

Longleaf for the long run

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Longleaf pine, once one of America’s largest ecosystems, now only covers roughly 3% of it’s presettlement range. Fire is a critical part of the health and function of this global hotspot of biodiversity.

The National Park Service, as part of the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy, has been working to increase prescribed fire and restore Longleaf pine within National Parks. These efforts are part of a larger collaboration with private landowners, nonprofits, and government agencies to build fire resilient landscapes across the Southeast US.

Bringing back Piedmont prairies

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The Piedmont includes some of the fastest growing urban megaregions in the Southeast like Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Birmingham. Historically, much of the Piedmont was covered in grasslands and open tree savannas maintained by frequent, low intensity fire and grazing by bison and elk. Now, after decades of fire suppression and rapid population growth, most of the Piedmont has either been converted to agriculture or subdivisions, or has grown into dense mixed forests.

Climate change in the Piedmont hasn’t yet resulted in the unusually large and intense fires seen in other parts of the Southeast. With increasing temperatures and variations in rainfall, though, that is predicted to change and the Piedmont is not ready for this new climate future. Working through the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy, the National Park Service is helping to bring back Piedmont Prairies and create more fire-resilient landscapes in the Piedmont

Fire in the Everglades

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In a National Park so well known for its water, it’s easy to forget that fire is an important part of keeping the “river of grass” healthy. Just like in other parts of the Southeast, climate change is resulting in unusually large and intense fires in South Florida. Prescribed fire is an important tool not just for maintaining this national treasure, but also for ensuring a fire resilient landscape for all of South Florida.