Burning promotes growth by clearing the nonnative and invasive plant growth. The controlled fires kill or restrict invading vegetation and recycle nutrients back into the soil.
This procedure is usually done in late winter when plants are dormant and birds are not nesting. After a burn, annual plants that had seeds in the soil grow quickly in the absence of competition, and perennials sprout easily from roots. Many tree species, such as oaks, are not killed by fire and grow more vigorously as they are adapted to survive periodic fires.
Two or three years after a burn, seed and fruit production increases, which provides more food for wildlife. Importantly, animals are rarely, if ever, endangered by prescribed burning. Rodents and snakes retreat into burrows, birds fly away, and larger animals move out of the area temporarily.
Prescribed burning is an important management tool being used to improve the quality of Champaign County’s woodlands and prairies. For more information, contact our Natural Resources Department at (217) 586-4630 or dolson@ccfpd.org.
