The role that prescribed burns with controlled forest fires plays in maintaining a healthy ecosystem in Florida and beyond.
Fire is an essential part of healthy ecosystems in the GTM Reserve, as it can help restore balance, clean up dead matter, reduce competition for limited resources and create space for the growth of new plants. Fire also encourages forest diversity, which helps to improve wildlife habitat quality and species abundance. By burning old plant tissue and promoting rapid regeneration of nutrient-rich soil and vegetation, fire helps create a resilient environment. Understanding the role of fire as part of larger ecological processes is necessary for any eco tour guide in the GTM Reserve to lead meaningful tours that build awareness about this incredible ecosystem.
Long ago, people didn’t realize how important fire is to healthy ecosystems. It does more than just keep things warm. When used judiciously, fire can be an incredibly beneficial tool for nature, helping reduce the competition among species, eliminating old growth, and providing essential nutrients back into the soil. Fire is especially useful in areas like the GTM Reserve in St Augustine’s 3 river inland coastal tidal basin, where it can help revive habitats that have otherwise become overrun with vegetation. Eco tour guides can help make the ecosystem in the reserve more balanced by knowing how to use this useful tool in a responsible way and understanding the benefits of adding fire to an environment.
