Fire and prairies go together like bologna and ketchup. (There is no discussion about that, by the way, it’s just a fact.)
It’s always fun to watch prairies green up following a prescribed fire. Plant regrowth is rapid and vigorous, especially after a fire that takes place just as the growing season is starting. In fact, because the soil warms up faster in recently burned areas, we often see plant species emerging weeks earlier where we’ve burned than in unburned prairies. The photos below were all taken one week after a fire we conducted at The Platte River Prairies this spring.
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Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) and grasses in restored prairie.
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Rainwater filled this created wetland after it was burned, creating excellent habitat for migratory shorebirds and many other creatures in what was formerly a corn field.
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False gromwell (Onosmodium molle) was one of the fastest to re-emerge from this spring’s burn.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
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Beautiful two-toned grass shoots were scattered across much of the burned prairie.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
