Members of Gainesville's Nature Operations Division preserve about 20 acres of Florida forestry every two to five years by setting them on fire.
Don Musen, a prescribed burn manager, explained the benefits of prescribed fire to a tour group of six at Morningside Nature Center on Saturday morning.
Musen said the controlled fires can prevent wildfires by removing old plants and trees prone to catching fire.
He demonstrated the difference between the evenly spaced areas that were burned with prescribed fires and the overgrown, crowded areas that were not.
"After the fire, the plants grow back in about a month, full of moisture and nutrients," he said.
The tour educated participants about controlled burns, a practice that some have fought against.
The 1998 Florida wildfires occurred when prescribed fires were not performed regularly because of locals' complaints about the smoke, Musen said.
"There is a rule," he said. "Either we burn it, or it burns itself."
The fires can also control the invasion of non-native plants, Musen said.
If allowed to thrive, the invasive plants threaten the habitats of native plants and animals.
Musen, along with a group of 10 other trained specialists, burns about 20 acres of land surrounded by fire lanes that double as nature trails. Each area should be burned at least once every two to five years.
"Our challenge is to do this without affecting human structures," Musen said.
