Loss of Cultural Burning

While fire is an inevitable result of our Mediterranean climate, it is also true that the Native American's of California used fire as a land management tool for thousands of years. 

Study Guide Questions 

3. Why is fire a part of California's landscape?

• • What is the role of a Mediterranean climate? 
  • How did  indigenous peoples of California use fire? For what purposes? 
  • How does fire affect the movement of water ecosystems? 
  • What was the impact on native plant ecosystems?

Native American Wildfire Management

Native American's have managed forests with fire for thousands of years.  Watch the brief video below to learn about the application of fire on Karuk land in northern California.  Optional Resource: Link to accompanying article, "What Western States Can Learn From Native American Wildfire Management Strategies (Links to an external site.)"

To learn about indigenous use of fire and its benefits for the land and people, watch the  video below.  Note, portions of this video contain new coverage of large destructive wildfires in recent years.  Because our landscapes has experienced relatively frequent fire for thousands of years, many plants in California are adapted to survive fire or use fire to enhance their reproduction.