North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Road's End Farm <organic87@frontiernet.net>]

On Feb 5, 2011, at 9:44 PM, Richard Wagner wrote:

>  The natives would not have been burning the prairies, especially  
> large areas, as they were not agriculturists.

Actually, there seems to be considerable evidence that deliberate  
burning was used in much of North America, both by agricultural and  
non-agricultural societies, for multiple reasons including to  
encourage the growth of desired plants, whether to feed humans or to  
feed game. Prairies may have been burned to improve grazing for buffalo.

A few examples discussing this:


http://www.wildlandfire.com/docs/biblio_indianfire.htm

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/rareplants/conservation/success/camas_prairie_restoration.shtml

http://courses.washington.edu/tande/hw/hwbibs/pickard.htm

http://westinstenv.org/histwl/2008/01/04/native-american-influences-on-the-development-of-forest-ecosystems/



-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale