Prescribed Burn

Prescribed fire involves the controlled burning of vegetation to achieve some desired management effect. Prescribed burns can be used to encourage a desired type of forest regeneration, to prevent the invasion of prairies by shrubs and trees, to decrease the abundance of pathogens, to prevent catastrophic wildfires by reducing the accumulation of fuel, or to create or maintain habitat for certain species of animals. Prescribed burns can be very useful tools in vegetation and habitat management, but it is critical that this practice be based on a sound understanding of the ecological effects the result.