Park fire managers use prescribed fire to play the former role of wildland fire to reinvigorate declining and stagnant vegetation, release nutrients back into the soil, create uneven aged vegetation communities for more diversity, control exotic plants, and reduce fuels that otherwise would accumulate to unnaturally high levels. Monitoring plots are established to determine whether or not the prescribed fires produce the desired effects. The Badlands Park is using fire to maintain plant communities in a healthy, dynamic relationship with the rest of the prairie s resources. Badland's National Park is also home to bison and prairie dogs, here we had a discussion of the symbiotic relationship of these two species and the role of fire in their maintenance. Park fire managers are trying to manage introduced grass species such as smooth brome with fire, achieving mixed results.
Fire can be the least cost solution to managing some of introduced exotic species.