Article Written by:
K.W. Duncan, Extension Range Brush Control Specialist
And Provided by:
New Mexico State University http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs
Grasslands evolved under the influence of fire. In pristine times, natural periodic prairie burns resulted in fire-modified vegetation types dominated by grasses. Fire is considered the primary agent that maintained grasslands before the middle 1800s. As the fire incidence began to decline in the mid-1800s, the brush problem began to increase. A reduction in fires, along with fencing, periodic droughts, overgrazing and increased cattle numbers, is considered the cause of the increase in brush density and stature. These factors allowed woody plants to spread from draws and waterways to the uplands. In the past two decades, however, man has rediscovered fire and its benefits—particularly the benefit of prescribed burning. There are several reasons for the resurgence of fire. These include the rising cost of chemical and mechanical brush control alternatives; advantages of fire in controlling various pests; realization that fires can benefit wildlife; and better overall understanding of the benefits, control and use of fire in the ecosystem.
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