Prairie fires are a natural occurrence and essential to maintenance of the ecosystem.
Most prairie ecosystems in the eastern and central U.S., where tallgrass prairies are found, would not exist without fire. Students will learn why, how and when prescribed fires occur on tallgrass prairies. Though tallgrass prairies are one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America, the extent of the ecosystem's diversity is not always visible to the casual observer. Threatened and endangered insects, including numerous moth and butterfly species, inhabit prairies and depend on the ecosystem's ecological makeup for survival. Tallgrass prairies frequently are found in association with wetlands.