Fires, natural and man-made, played an integral role in managing that system. Since the 1850s, man has suppressed fire, and the grasslands that were once dotted with an occasional live oak motte have been replaced by parklands and woodlands. Ashe juniper has spread from the steep draws and canyons and exploited the uplands. A prescribed burn program that is used properly with a grazing deferment program and deer harvest management, is an effective tool for managing wildlife habitat. Burning increases plant quantity and quality, and enhances habitat diversity.
Many plant species are tolerant of fire.
Others require fire for adequate germination. Cedar is not a fire tolerant plant. It was controlled by the frequent wildfires that occurred before European settlement. Europeans suppressed fire to prevent damage to wooden structures, farmlands, fences, and grazing lands. That eliminated or reduced the role that fire played in maintaining an ecosystem that was not dominated by cedar.