Prescribed burns are used by foresters and wildlife biologists to improve the forest for plants and animals, according to the forest service. The fires also reduce the chances of an accidental wildfire or arson-related fires that can destroy acres of land, because the burns consume the same litter and underbrush that fuel those fires. According to the forest service, removing the litter and underbrush also promotes plant growth, because more sunlight reaches the forest floor. New plants provide better forage for wildlife like deer by increasing the number and variety of small plants. New grasses, for example, are more nutritious and digestible by animals.
Plants also grow faster after a burn.
Turkey, quail, and doves also benefit from prescribed fires because of the increase in grasses and legumes after a burn, the forest service said. Burning also recycles nutrients to the soils. Ash from the fire often increases soil pH and provides mineral nutrients for plant growth. And, in certain cases, prescribed burning can be used to enhance the appearance of an area, the forest service said. Flowering annuals and biennials are more visible and grow better after a prescribed burn, it said.