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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #395699
Research Project: Development of Management Strategies for Livestock Grazing, Disturbance and Climate Variation for the Northern Plains

Location: Livestock and Range Research Laboratory

Title: Barriers to prescribed fire in the US Great Plains, Part I: Systematic review of socio-ecological research

Author
item CLARK, AUTUMN - North Dakota State University
item McGranahan, Devan
item GEAUMONT, BENJAMIN - North Dakota State University
item Wonkka, Carissa
item OTT, JACQUELINE - Forest Service (FS)
item KREUTER, URS - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Land
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/30/2022
Publication Date: 9/9/2022
Citation: Clark, A., McGranahan, D.A., Geaumont, B.A., Wonkka, C.L., Ott, J.P., Kreuter, U. 2022. Barriers to prescribed fire in the US Great Plains, Part I: Systematic review of socio-ecological research. Land. 11(9). Article 1521. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091521.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091521

Interpretive Summary: In this paper, we present a systematic review of published literature on the perceptions and attitudes of land managers towards prescribed fire in the Great Plains. The aim was to identify perceived barriers and limitations that restrict prescribed fire use. The review included studies primarily located in the Great Plains and focused on perceptions of fire as the primary topic. This compilation of research provides the current knowledge of social perceptions and potential barriers towards prescribed fire use to expand use of prescribed fire in rangeland management.

Technical Abstract: The role of fire in rangeland management has gained traction among managers and support among researchers. Fully expanding prescribed fire use to management context in which it is effective but not conventionally applied requires a complete understanding of barriers that limit prescribed fire, especially in working rangelands of the North American Great Plains. While there is an emerging body of work on the perceptions of prescribed fire, there has yet to be a compilation of the research. This three-part series of articles summarizes the current knowledge of the barriers to prescribed fire use in the US Great Plains. In this paper, we present a systematic review of published literature on the perceptions and attitudes of land managers towards prescribed fire in the Great Plains. The aim was to identify perceived barriers and limitations that re-strict a greater use of prescribed fire. The review included studies primarily located in the Great Plains ecoregion and focused on perceptions of fire as the primary topic. Articles were further analyzed for the use of relevant theories and methodological design. This compilation of research provides the current knowledge of social perceptions and potential barriers towards prescribed fire use so that fire advocates can effectively promote an increased use of prescribed fire in rangeland management.