Increases in biomass following fire are common. In the true prairie of eastern North Dakota, saltgrass responded favorably to a prescribed burn on May 8. In many wildlife refuges, marsh vegetation is controlled by regulating water levels of the marsh. Flooding after burning apparently kills saltgrass rhizomes by preventing gas exchange. Saltgrass is an important cover plant for nesting waterfowl, and control is seldom warranted in waterfowl production areas.
New growth following fire is higher in nutritive quality than unburned plants.