Prescribed Fire

Noble Research Institute researchers demonstrate that prescribed fire can play an important role in managing pasture and wildlife habitat.

Fire is a natural process to which plant communities have adapted. Drought, which in recent years has been a major issue in the Southern Great Plains, is also a natural process to which these plant communities have adapted.

Prescribed fire is a powerful tool that can be used to achieve management goals and manipulate vegetation. When conducting a burn, good communication between the burn crew members is critical for conducting it safely.

Many landowners already use prescribed fire for accomplishing their management goals. However, most landowners do not, due to fear of liability as well as a lack of knowledge, labor and equipment.

Coarse and volatile fuels cause problems when located too close to firebreaks during prescribed burns. Coarse fuels are woody materials that burn for a relatively long time, such as brush piles, snags, logs or stumps.

Eastern red-cedar is a coniferous evergreen tree species that is native to the southeastern United States. However, over the last several decades, this tree has invaded ecological sites where it didn't previously occur, primarily due to fire suppression.

One of the most important parts of planning and implementing a prescribed burn is weather prediction. Weather prediction resources are available to help us make informed decisions about both fire and smoke behavior before we conduct prescribed burns.

Land use in south-central Oklahoma and north Texas has changed greatly since the 1930s and 40s when Lloyd Noble, founder of Noble Research Institute, saw the devastation of the soil and committed himself to making a difference to help the region.

When planning a prescribed burn, there are many environmental factors to consider including topography, fuel loads and weather.

Many people view honey mesquite as a poor quality rangeland plant. However, it provides cover and food for wildlife and livestock; plus it is a legume that has the ability to fix nitrogen back into the soil.