Prescribed Burns
For thousands of years, periodic, naturally occurring lightning strikes were part of the landscape throughout the North American continent. In the southeastern United States, especially, where lightning is the most common, these strikes often caused fires. Many types of plants, including carnivorous plants, slowly evolved to the point that they now rely on these fires for their survival.
As we enter the 21st Century, however, urbanization and human intervention have decreased the number of lightning fires, threatening with extinction many plants and animals that have come to rely on the fires.
For that reason, the Nature Conservancy conducts "prescribed burns" of areas throughout the Green Swamp periodically throughout the year. These burns are planned, set and extinguished by professionally trained staff following specific guidelines for wind, temperature, humidity and soil moisture. This program, which began in 1979, has gone a long way toward preserving the population of many carnivorous plants.
Without the prescribed burns, many carnivorous plants would be overrun by the dense vegetation of other plants. By burning certain areas, the vegetation that competes with carnivorous plants is kept at bay, allowing the carnivorous plants space to grow. While the above ground portion of many of the carnivorous plants may die during the fire, the roots remain intact and regrowth often occurs just a few days after the burn.
The overall diversity of plants and animals can be increased through burning, according to the Nature Conservancy. Unlike mowing, which has a uniform impact throughout an area, the variability within a burn can generate diverse conditions under which many species can thrive and reproduce.
This is just one way that nature groups and local and state governments are working to preserve these wonderfully amazing plants. As we enter the new millennium, however, we all must do our part. One way you, as an individual, can have a positive affect is to research companies you buy carnivorous plants from. Make sure they are reputable businesses who get their stock through legal means and who don't collect these plants from the wild.
For more information on prescribed burns, click on to the North Carolina chapter of the Nature Conservancy .