You can’t talk about the prairie and not mention fire. The prairie needs fire. Fire rejuvenates it and fire protects it. Fire is what keeps prairie…prairie. Without fire, the prairie would be overwhelmed with trees and brush. I’ve known that for years - it’s basic plant community ecology - but I saw it illustrated more clearly today than I ever have.
Ranchers have been burning the Flint Hills for many decades – for as long as they’ve been ranching. They probably learned it from the Native Americans. A frequent, regular burning regime is why the Flint Hills remain the quality prairies they are today.
Mike Rich, Manager of the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, took me on a tour of the Flint Hills. I asked Mike what the biggest threats to the Flint Hills prairie are. We talked about many of the usual suspects, including development and energy (in this case wind energy), but the one that he kept coming back to was trees. That can be a kind of a tough thing for folks to grasp. So often when we think of nature, we think of trees. When we want to do something good for nature we plant a tree. But trees don’t belong on the prairie, at least not in big numbers. Ranchers understand that. It’s a simple matter of economics to them. Cows eat grass; trees exclude grass; more trees mean fewer fat cows. Fire keeps trees from encroaching on the prairie. So ranchers burn.
Another thing these ranchers like is prairie chickens. But in their efforts to produce good forage for their cows (through burning), they’ve gotten to the point where prairie chicken numbers are declining (along with some other grassland birds). Prairie chickens need cover in which to nest. When all or most of the land is burned every year, there is no residual tall grass left in which to conceal nests. Exposed nests and hens means hens and chicks become easy picking for predators. At the same time, prairie chickens don’t nest in forests, either. They need broad expanses of good prairies.
While these ideas seem to conflict with each other, the fact that so much of the Flint Hills still exists in healthy prairies means that the ranchers must be doing something tight. They are. They’re burning the prairie. Maybe if we can get them so slow down just a little…
Please remember that prairies are complex ecosystems and vary tremendously across time and space. What is good in one area at one time will not be the best approach everywhere at all times. I don’t have the time or space (or knowledge!) to thoroughly delve into prairie ecology. Hopefully, through the people I talk to, I can help introduce you to a few of the most important concepts and inspire you to seek to learn a little more about these fascinating places.
With that thought in mind… Male prairie chickens gather and do a very cool dance in attempt to attract females. Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJCy0d94YS0&feature=related.
And lest you think that fire and trees are the only concerns in the Flint Hills, look closely at the following photo. Notice the oil pumps and storage tanks. And along with those pumps comes electricity (see the power lines) and the need for vehicle access (that’s probably why the road on which we’re driving exists):
The Flint Hills get their name from the layer of flint that tops the limestone and is frequently seen exposed at the crests of hills and in hillsides:
