How does fire help prairie?
A fast-moving grass fire helps the prairie in many ways. Firstly, fire kills plants that are not specifically adapted to tolerate burning. These plants have their meristems above ground. Shrub and tree seedlings and other non-prairie weeds are kept out by regular burns. The burning and elimination of the standing dead plant material is another important factor. Once it is gone, sunlight and wind can warm and dry the soil surface more readily. The black ash absorbs the sun’s energy during the day and insulates the soil against heat loss at night. This warmed soil speeds up the development of underground shoots. The new above-ground shoots receive full sunlight, providing them the energy for photosynthesis. Moisture may be more available to prairie plants after a fire. Dead standing material intercepts and absorbs a great deal of moisture. Most of that moisture will evaporate once the sun comes out. By burning off the material, water from a slow, gentle rainfall is more likely to be deli
