restoring nature with fire

Fire used to be a regular and frequent component of our landscape here in the Midwest. Many of our native ecosystems such as prairies, oak-hickory woodlands, and certain wetlands burned frequently. Historically, these fires were started by Native Americans or lightning. The fire stimulated many plant species to grow more vigorously and discouraged others that were not adapted to fire. Today, many non-native plant species have invaded our natural fire-adapted ecosystems, decreasing the diversity of native plants and animals. By returning fire to a site, we begin to give the competitive advantage back to native species and restore the site to its natural state.