Seirer_170424_3960.jpgGreen Again, And Quickly Refreshed by fire only a couple of weeks ago, this tallgrass prairie west of Matfield Green, Kan., experiences a flush of new growth. Fire is a natural governor of the prairie ecosystem, protecting the rolling hills from invasion of shrubs and trees. The extensive roots of the grasses, undisturbed, respond to fire by feeding new growth that cattle find particularly appealing. Studies have shown that burning can increase cattle weight gain by about a quarter of a pound per day. Refer to the blog of April 8 to see how this pasture looked immediately after the fire.

Refreshed by fire only a couple of weeks ago, this tallgrass prairie west of Matfield Green, Kan., experiences a flush of new growth. Fire is a natural governor of the prairie ecosystem, protecting the rolling Flint Hills from invasion of shrubs and trees. The extensive roots of the grasses, undisturbed, respond to fire by feeding new growth that cattle find particularly appealing. Studies have shown that cattle gain an extra quarter pound of weight per day when grazing on grassland that has been burned. The economics of that has made annual planned burning a ritual throughout  the 82,000 acres of the Flint Hills. Much of that burning occurs in the spring. Refer to the blog of April 8 to see how this pasture looked immediately after the fire.