Meadows and old fields found throughout Lake County and northeast Ohio occasionally require some upkeep so that they remain healthy and productive. Without any care given to these areas, meadows would eventually become forests and the plants and animals that call those habitats home would likely disappear. One method used to maintain healthy meadows is to periodically burn them. The process, known as a prescribed burn, involves the planned and detailed use of fire over designated areas conducted under particular environmental conditions to achieve desired management goals.
Fire is an extremely useful tool in maintaining meadows and other environments. It has been used throughout history by Native Americans to improve hunting land, clear areas of dense vegetation for crops, and to encourage the growth of plants used for food. As fire moves through an area removing undesirable vegetation, nutrients held in old plant growth are recycled, helping to invigorate the growth of new more desirable plants. Other benefits of using fire as a management tool include reducing the spread of pests and disease, providing forage for wildlife, and reducing wildfire danger by removing excess amounts of fuel. These benefits contribute to forming an improved habitat that promotes the growth of desirable plants capable of supporting varieties of wildlife.
Lake Metroparks’ use of fire is implemented with other management strategies to support the long-term health and well-being of its meadows. The effectiveness of fire in reducing exotic species, undesirable grasses and woody plants that often overrun meadows if left unchecked, renders it an especially useful tool that is preferred over other strategies.
Natural resources staff carefully monitor weather and other conditions in the field prior to a burn. Factors such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and fuel moisture affect the behavior of a fire. Burn managers must be aware of these conditions to ensure that safety is maintained throughout a burn, smoke is carried away from sensitive areas and the desired management goals of a burn are achieved.
The temporary increase in bare ground after a burn benefits some wildlife by easing maneuverability and access to food. The flush of new growth provides a great food source and structure for insects and grassland-breeding birds. Burns are an excellent way to increase plant diversity and structure for the benefit of wildlife.