"If a rangeland needs to be revitalized, the question often being asked is, 'what tools will best accomplish that?'" says Lance Vermeire, an ecologist at USDA’s Ag Research Service (ARS) Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Mont.

The question is important because rangelands cover millions of acres across the Great Plains and they're essential for grazing livestock and as wildlife habitat. Rangelands are also a major source of water supplies.

Wildfires are a part of the natural cycle of growth and regeneration in many Western habitats and although all fire effects are not always positive, rangeland managers have used fire to control invasive weeds, enhance forage quality, increase plant diversity and maintain wildlife habitats.

Using fire with a stated objective—a strategy known as prescribed fire—is widely recognized as an effective way to remove standing, dead vegetation on rangelands. But fear of fire has left some to wonder if mowing or close grazing confers the same benefits.

Vermeire compared the benefits of mowing rangelands with setting them on fire to rid them of unwanted debris and reset their ecological balance. He found in a recent study that fire is better than mowing because it restores soil health and promotes growth of grass that is more nutritious for grazing cattle.

Related:How to use prescribed fire to manage pastures

"The results show that mowing is not the same as fire and cannot replace it. Fire is unique," he says.

To compare mowing with fire, Vermeire mowed the grasses in experimental plots during the May growing season, set prescribed fires in others and left others as control plots. About two months later, he measured the amount of plant material or "biomass" in the plots, analyzed the soils for nutrients and assessed the forage quality of the dominant grasses. A year later, he repeated the same measurements and assessments.

He found that while mowing offered some benefits, fire proved to be a better tool for releasing nutrients into the soil, increasing the total amounts of grass and producing grass with more of the nutrients essential for healthy cattle, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The study was partially funded by the U.S. Forest Service. The paper, published in Rangeland Ecology and Management, can be found here.

Climate change concerns

Droughts and drier conditions brought on by climate change make it essential to carefully control any prescribed fire, Vermeire says. But the drier conditions also mean that there is more combustible material in many areas just waiting for a spark, which could be a good reason to consider prescribed fire to reduce unwanted debris, he says.

Related:How timely prescribed burns could benefit your pastures

"Fires are going to happen, so isn't it better to control the conditions, and decide what you want burned, and when and where you want to burn it, rather than waiting for a wildfire to break out and burn unchecked," he says.

Dennis O'Brien is an ARS public affairs specialist. Source: ARS, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.