Prescribed fire has been used at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in an attempt to reduce cover of non-native grasses and increase cover of native forbs, grasses, and sedges. There are 3 plots in the native mixed-grass prairie monitoring type at Theodore Roosevelt. These plots were burned as part of the NW corner burn unit in 2001.

The figure below displays cover of native and non-native lifeforms. Pre-burn sampling occurred 2 growing season before the prescribed fire, with year 1, year 2, and year 5 the number of growing seasons following the burn. Five growing seasons following the prescribed fire, cover of native grasses increased by 40% and native forbs decreased by 21%. Cover of non-native grasses decreased by 32% with non-native forbs increasing 527%. Sedge cover did not change through time.

Below are mean cover measurements of the seven most common species found on the three plots. Five seasons following the prescribed fire Kentucky bluegrass cover was 31% below pre-burn levels while western wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, and green needlegrass increased by 34%, 78%, and 36% respectively.