Native grasslands are fire-dependent natural communities. Climate change projections suggest that burn day options may shift to earlier in the spring or to other seasons.

Submitted by dshannon on

Prescribed fire is a very important tool for maintaining grasslands. The frequency, intensity, and timing of precipitation and drought will be major determinants of where and when managers can burn. Earlier and potentially wetter springs combined with rapid warm-up could reduce opportunities for prescribed burning. This could require a shift to burning at different times of year (if feasible). Conversely, long term trends toward warmer conditions may actually increase opportunities for prescribed burning, although an associated increase in volatility could also trigger more regulatory constraints. If sites are burned less often, sites may get significantly brushier. Shrubs, whether native or non-native, may also be enhanced by CO2 enrichment and nitrogen deposition.