1. Smoke Management
  2. ยปWoody Encroachment

Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management

Woody plant enroachment and invasion of rangelands

Rangelands are native ecosystems maintained with fire and grazing. When fire is withheld from rangeland systems, woody plants increase, causing degradation and a loss of rangeland benefits.  

 

Accidental or deliberate introduction of trees into rangelands, such as with misguided tree planing strategies, creates numerous problems. Rangelands are not degraded forests- they are healthy, resilient plant and animal communities well adapted to their location.

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026