Prescribed Burning in the Loess Hills

These teams conduct a controlled burn of the Loess Hills. Among other methods, such as grazing and mowing, controlled burns help to manage the prairie ecosystem by stimulating prairie plant growth. Prairie plants are adapted to fires as the original prairielands were burned by either lightning or Native Americans. While the prairie plants benefit from the fire, the less fire-adapted woody plants experience a decrease in growth while shrubs and trees are often destroyed. In addition to the fire itself, the ash produced by the fire provides nutrients which are beneficial prairie plant growth.

• How do burns like these help maintain biodiversity? Why do burns maintain biodiversity?

• How have prairie lands changed since the 1850s? What happened to send them into decline?
• What is being done to protect and conserve Iowa’s prairies and grasslands like the ones in the Loess Hills?
• What other solutions might be beneficial for prairie restoration in areas like the Loess Hills?

Students could:

• Whole class brainstorm of the importance of biodiversity in general.
• Individually research the ecological significance of the Loess Hills. Discuss findings with a partner and then share ideas with the whole class.
• Identify the factors that impact the stability of biodiversity in areas like the Loess Hills.
• Brainstorm a list of possible design solutions to maintain the biodiversity in the Loess Hills.
• Identify the best design solutions to maintain biodiversity from the class list. Provide evidence and reasoning for the decision.
• Research current solutions to maintain the biodiversity in areas like the Loess Hills. Compare these solutions to the class list of possible design solutions.

• Iowa State Extension and Outreach: Spring Time is Prescribed Fire Time in Iowa: Read about the benefits of burning landscape: Article outlining the process and importance of prescribed burns. 
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Prairies of the Midwest: This PDF includes information about the drastic reduction in prairie lands in Iowa, typical prairie plants and animals, specific examples of vegetation found in the Loess Hills, and prairie management.
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) | Loess Hills State Forest: Provided by the DNR, view information on the Loess Hills management plan.
• Loess Hills Alliance: This website features general background on the Loess Hills as well as additional resources, videos, and reading recommendations..
• The Nature Conservancy | The Loess Hills: Impact of controlled burns on Loess Hills.
• Iowa PBS Iowa Pathways: The Loess Hills: This provides background on the Loess Hills including a description, formation, ecological features, threats to the area and an informative video.
• Loess Hills Alliance | Loess Hills Visual Tour: Take a video tour of the Loess Hills.
• Loess Hills Preservation Society: Read about preservation of the Loess Hills, find volunteer projects, check out the photo gallery, and review the suggested links for further research.