Integrity of natural fire regimes across rangeland

Framework / Assessment
Summary

This indicator, “Integrity of Natural Fire Regimes,” spatially and temporally quantifies acres of rangeland burned annually. Fire is a key ecological driver in many rangeland ecosystems, facilitating nutrient cycling, promoting recruitment of native grasses and forbs, and limiting encroachment of woody species. For many rangeland ecosystems, the introduction of domestic grazers, invasive species, conversion of rangeland to cropland, urbanization, fire suppression, and fragmentation of rangeland have significantly altered the natural fire regimes as well as landscape composition and structure. Because fire is such a dramatic disturbance, changes in its frequency or intensity results in significant changes in nutrient cycling, species richness, ecological integrity, and carbon stocks. Monitoring the integrity of fire regimes promises to significantly inform evaluations of rangeland health.