User:Ranger Yahoo/Great Basin National Park

Fire
The vast open landscape of Great Basin National Park are ecosystems heavily reliant on fire. Fire is a necessary natural force for change, caused naturally by lightning and dry conditions, burning away low-ground vegetation that choke out and allow Pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) and Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) to establish and begin changing the landscape of the basin from shrubland to forest. Once ecosystems change, there is a significant impact on biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and an increase in invasive species.[1]

Fire Management
In the modern era, fires are managed and controlled by the National Park Service. Their focus is on prevention and rejuvenation, prescribing burns in areas of high risk of potential wildfire in order to mitigate the damage and limit risk to the visitors and infrastructure in the park, as well as to promote nutrient cycling and ecosystem health/stability.[1]