If you frequent the Arboretum, you will often come across patches of prairie that have been charred by fire or smell a whiff of smoke. Chances are, these are the signs of a prescribed burn. You may wonder what possible motivations the Arboretum management must have to intentionally ignite sections of our natural lands, but in fact, it is crucial to maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

In the Midwest, Indigenous Americans have practiced fire management for millennia, using it to herd wild animals, as well as attract them with food in the richly rebounding prairies. Due to its destructive impacts on infrastructure, fire has often been demonized and suppressed in industrialized civilization, but it’s a necessary tool for ecosystems.

Prescribed fire is not as destructive as it may seem. Most animals can run away, and native plants have evolved root systems that survive even if the above-ground portion of the plant gets burned away. Other plants, such as the mighty bur oak, are often left unharmed from fire, as they have evolved thick bark that prevents serious damage. 

Fire also warms the soil, helping spur new plant growth and encourage beneficial microbes, as well as releasing nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium in the ash, converting compounds back into elementary forms and making them available to be taken up again. Burning also promotes a balance of species; woody plants and shrubs, such as invasive buckthorn, often try to shade out prairie and colonize forests, with fire being the main natural defense.

In the Arboretum, teams of volunteers and students prepare burn sites, watch the weather and maintain barriers around the burn area, spraying water to control the fire’s path. It is crucial to work together and communicate to ensure a safe and effective burn. This spring, look out for the vibrant native wildflowers and other life that rebounds in the Arboretum!