Fire!
This was the chaotic scene in Ordway's prairie two Tuesdays ago: dark smoke rising from blackened earth, wind-driven waves of orange flame, urgent sounds of straining engines and shouting voices. If you haven't witnessed a controlled prairie burn before, it can be alarming. And if you have any love for grasslands, the scariest part might be the destruction left behind. When the flames die and the smoke clears, the prairie has been completely erased. Any evidence of life that, moments ago, stood above ground is now reduced to a thin layer of soot evenly coating the landscape. But things aren't always what they seem. As it turns out, the fire that seems to have destroyed the prairie is, in fact, helping ensure its continuation. To see why, it helps to understand a little bit about plant growth strategies. The grasses and wildflowers that make up a tallgrass prairie are mostly perennial herbs . The herb part means the plants do not contain any woody tissue....