March 2024 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN 39 trolled by nature before the Great Plains were converted into agricultural use. “Fire was a natural enemy for eastern red cedar back then,” Twidwell says. “It had to escape the fire damage, so it moved to rocky outcrops or areas where fire couldn’t move in easily. When that fire threat was removed, there was no replacement for the natural management of eastern red cedar.” Without a natural enemy to keep the tree species at bay, the eastern red cedar population flourished and thrived in the grassland biome. However, it is not out of the question to utilize the old foe of the eastern red cedar to bring the problem back into control in the present day. “Only fire can manage every aspect of the eastern red cedar and how it invades the surrounding landscape,” Twidwell says. “It can kill seedlings, consume seeds and kill mature trees. That’s the biggest strength of fire. It will prevent reinvasion if done correctly.” Fogarty says that producers should consider certain things if they decide to utilize prescribed burns to manage eastern red cedar, including how large the problem is on their operation. “Fire is really effective for controlling smaller trees, but when you get to bigger trees, you have to use a higher intensity of fire to kill them,” Fogarty says. “That can be a challenge.” Fire can also be dangerous if not closely monitored and controlled. CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 No Room to Roost One of the most alarming aspects of woody encroachment in the Great Plains area is the displacement of certain wildlife species. Ryan Lodge, working lands coordinator for Nebraska Pheasants Forever, says eastern red cedar has been problematic in North America for centuries. “After European settlement, the use of fire decreased significantly,” Lodge says. “After that, the eastern red cedar expanded throughout the Great Plains, creating many problems for grassland-dependent wildlife species.” The woody encroachment is destroying the grassland biome and stealing water from other plants that need it. One native wildlife species in Nebraska is suffering because of woody encroachment. “The greater prairie chickens make their home in the eastern Sandhills,” Lodge says. “Woody encroachment causes visual obstruction, which is problematic for this species. When you get as much as 3 percent coverage over the grassland, these birds will tend to move off and stop using that area.” He says that ranchers and wildlife conservationists are on the same team when it comes to combating woody encroachment. “Cattle producers just want more grass back for their livestock, and we just want the natural habitat restored for our impacted wildlife,” Lodge says. “We care about those ranchers and want them to be sustainable and profitable. It’s a win-win situation when we pair up and fight this battle together.” Woodland expansion in the Great Plains grassland biome from 2000 to 2018. Courtesy of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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