Pyric herbivory, scales of heterogeneity and drought

The history of the planet is an ever-changing story. Nowadays, managers of the natural environment face the challenge of dealing with a dynamic landscape that is at a turning point due to the global change (climate and land use change) brought about by human actions in recent centuries. This article discusses the traditional concept of conservation of the natural environment, analyses the role played by key disturbances in the functioning and dynamics of ecosystems over time, and offers a new management approach derived from this knowledge. Combined practices of controlled fire and guided grazing (pyric herbivory) as environmental tools for the preservation of valuable mountain ecosystems is justified, as well as the need to consolidate them by combining traditional expertise with scientific and technical knowledge in order to maximize their positive effects and minimize the potential negative impacts on the natural environment.

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Pyric-Herbivory to Manage Horn Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) on Cattle

Southwestern Entomologist ◽

10.3958/059.037.0308 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 325-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

John D. Scasta ◽

Dave M. Engle ◽

Justin L. Talley ◽

John R. Weir ◽

J. Chris Stansberry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pyric Herbivory ◽

Horn Flies

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Pyric-Herbivory to Promote Rangeland Heterogeneity: Evidence From Small Mammal Communities

Rangeland Ecology & Management ◽

10.2111/rem-d-10-00044.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 63 (6) ◽

pp. 670-678 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Samuel D. Fuhlendorf ◽

Darrell E. Townsend ◽

R. Dwayne Elmore ◽

David M. Engle

Keyword(s):

Small Mammal ◽

Pyric Herbivory ◽

Small Mammal Communities ◽

Mammal Communities

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Eating While the Eating’s Good: How Fire Creates a Magnet for Grazing Animals

Frontiers for Young Minds ◽

10.3389/frym.2021.622451 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Sherry A. Leis ◽

Carol E. Baldwin

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Tallgrass Prairie ◽

Management Team ◽

Microbial Life ◽

Burned Areas ◽

Wildlife Species ◽

Pyric Herbivory ◽

National Preserve

Tallgrass prairie is disappearing because farming and development have replaced it. This ecosystem is home to a unique group of plants, animals, and microbial life. The processes of fire, grazing by animals, and drought are important to the tallgrass prairie. They can influence each other and prairie life. For example, pyric-herbivory is the interaction of fire and grazing on the landscape. Burned areas attract herbivores (plant eaters) like a magnet. After fires, plant growth is nutritious and easy to find. Herbivores prefer grazing recently burned areas, creating patches of different habitats that support many other wildlife species, too. You can see pyric-herbivory in action at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, where fire, cattle, and bison are a part of the preserve’s management team! Healthy tallgrass prairie needs both fire and grazing.

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