The overall effects of fire on ecosystems are complex and variable, ranging from the reduction or elimination of aboveground biomass to impacts on belowground physical, chemical and microbial mediated processes. Many producers utilize prescribed burning in order to decrease woody plant encroachment, increase rangeland condition, and improve overall ecological site resiliency. However, some land managers are inherently focused on the aboveground and immediate effects of fire, often times overlooking the belowground and long-term effects of fire. As a result, prescribed burning in Texas and many other states face an uncertain future. Rapid increases in population and increased "urbanization" of rangeland, air quality concerns, lengthy burn bans, and growing amount of absentee landowners will also make the implementation and understanding of fire even more difficult in the future. Therefore, application of the latest scientific advances that revolve around belowground and aboveground assessments of fire effects will increase overall understanding of both direct and indirect effects further influencing the implementation of prescribed burning. Increased knowledge of fire on rangelands will also stimulate a greater appreciation for the need and application of safe and effective fire and ignite a fire-culture that was once brought to this area centuries ago. Greater understanding of fire effects will benefit landowners looking to not only utilize prescribed burning as a rangeland management tool, but to also facilitate recovery efforts following a wildfire. Many producers understand the bigger role fire plays on rangelands and will share management strategies based off of sound scientific practices used to facilitate the use of fire.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.