Prescribed fire is a critical process for grassland and savanna function, management of invasive species, and wildfire mitigation. It’s a practice that requires careful coordination and collaboration among various organizations. The overall effectiveness and success of prescribed fire is heavily influenced by social networks.
In a recent study, researchers from Oklahoma State University delved into the social networks of prescribed burn practitioners in Oklahoma and North Carolina, providing valuable insights into how these networks function and how they might be improved.
The study highlights the importance of social science in understanding and enhancing prescribed fire management. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to map out the relationships between organizations involved in prescribed burns in Oklahoma and North Carolina. The researchers aimed to compare the structure of these networks, identify key players, and explore opportunities to enhance collaboration and effectiveness.
Another way to think of this is as social networks as a web, with various players occupying different positions. The study reveals that these networks typically have well-connected “core” actors in the center and those with fewer connections, the “peripheral” actors, on the outer edges.
In prescribed fire, researchers found:
- Core Actors: These are described as central figures that often include government agencies, statewide prescribed burn associations (PBAs), and large NGOs. A diversity of core actors is crucial, as it promotes a greater flow of new information within the network. Statewide fire councils, in particular, play a very important role.
- Peripheral Actors: This group consists of private landowners, local PBAs, and smaller NGOs. For these actors, building more connections and forming PBA subgroups can be highly beneficial, leading to more frequent burns and increased land coverage.
This research underscores the importance of social capital—the connections and relationships among actors—in facilitating effective prescribed fire implementation. By understanding the structure of these networks, it becomes possible to identify strategies to enhance collaboration, improve information flow, and ultimately achieve better outcomes in land management and restoration within the tight-knit framework that is prescribed fire culture.
Well-connected networks are more adaptable to change, which is essential in the dynamic field of rangeland management. Government agencies and statewide PBAs can play a key role in empowering landowners by providing knowledge, experience, and resources. Ultimately, communities that rely on landowners to adopt and implement prescribed fire practices benefit significantly from a strong network of supporting agencies and organizations at various levels and intensities.
This study provides a valuable framework for analyzing prescribed fire networks and offers insights that can be applied to other regions as well. As the use of prescribed fire continues to be an integral process of rangeland management strategies, understanding and strengthening the social networks that support it will be crucial for long-term success and understanding how managers that ebb and flow can fit into an overall prescribed fire culture.
Read the full study – Social Capital in State Prescribed Burn Networks Comparing North Carolina and Oklahoma Cases