Prescribed Fire Effects and Benefits for Cattle

Historical perspective of fire and grazing Human applications of fire to benefit grazing animals is not a new concept. Historical evidence indicates that aboriginal people in North America (Anderson 2006), Australia (Murphy and Bowman 2007), and Africa (Archibald et al. 2005) frequently burned rangelands and forested lands to attract wildlife, remove standing dead plant biomass, to stimulate new plant growth, manage pests, etc. The role of fire also structured the plant community by maintaining open grasslands and shrublands and the dominance of native perennial grasses (Bond and Keeley 2005). While the application and concept of fire to benefit herbivores is not new, research quantifying the benefits and impacts has been developing at a rapid pace, especially over recent decades.