Save an ecosystem

Publication Type:

Magazine Article

Authors:

Connelly, Jack

Source:

Sage Notes, Idaho Native Plant Society, Volume 23, Issue 2, p.3-5 (2001)

Call Number:

U01CON01IDUS

Abstract:

With the Y2K fire season behind us, our western environment has changed from being smoke-filled to rhetoric-filled. Predictions, threats, and dire consequences cloud our vision as badly as wind-blown dust after a range storm. Is fire good for the environment? Is it bad? Can we solve our wildfire/forest health problems with a prescribed burning program? How broadly can we generalize among forested and rangeland habitats? There certainly are many questions, but do we have sound data to provide reliable answers? I have spent the last 23 years working on sage grouse and sagebrush steppe habitats. When I started my work, fire in sagebrush steppe was not a major issue, and fire was generally regarded as having a positive effect on these communities and the wildlife they support. However, wildlife biologists and range ecologists have learned a great deal about fire in sagebrush habitats over this 23-year period. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss some strongly held opinions otherwise known as dogma), review some of what we have learned, and suggest ways in which this knowledge might be used to guide future efforts to conserve sagebrush steppe and the wildlife it supports.