HOW CAN FIRE BE USED AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL?
Rather than viewing fire as the enemy, land and resource managers today see fire as a useful and effective tool for habitat enhancement and increasing the yield of valuable forest and tundra products (such as wood, berries, mushrooms, wildlife, furs, and meat) and benefits. Using fire to increase the yield of wood from the boreal forest may seem illogical, but fire can do this in some places by enriching the soil with nutrients, raising soil temperatures, and by clearing out dense stands of old, slow growing trees. By managing the timing of fires, forest managers may be able to affect the kinds of trees growing on a given site and increase their rate of growth. Fires also dry out standing wood and can create a temporary, valuable source of dry firewood in accessible areas. Fires can be used to increase yields of blueberries, raspberries, and other species. These berry plants often flourish in burned areas due to increased nutrients, reduced competition, and shading by other plants. Inc
