Stanford researchers encourage local approach to land management at prescribed fire forum

Fire has shaped ecosystems since the earliest days of life on land, and for thousands of years, humans have learned to work with it. 

At Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ’Ootchamin ’Ooyakma, a group of researchers — self described “fire followers” — convened on Feb. 18 to explore how prescribed burns, indigenous knowledge and modern science can help balance risk, resilience and ecological health in fire-prone landscapes.

Ph.D students and faculty shared research findings from Jasper Ridge’s prescribed pile burns in March 2024, examining their effects on the landscape, air quality, soil and plant composition. They also highlighted how 3D models can help reconstruct ecosystems.

“The goal for the preserve is to contribute to promote research, education and land stewardship,” said Tad Fukami, the preserve’s executive director and a Stanford biology professor. He added that the meeting aimed to foster interdisciplinary connections and inform the community about Stanford’s fire research.

After the presentations, a panel of Stanford faculty discussed key takeaways from the research. Chris Field, a professor of biology and environmental studies, noted that the research discussed how to balance fire risk, ecosystem health and culturally appropriate fire management techniques. Field and Jeff Dukes, a professor of earth system science, said that the research could be used to scale fire management strategies across California, which aims to treat 1 million acres of land each year with prescribed fire burns and other fire mitigation strategies. 

Jane Willenbring, an earth and planetary sciences professor, pointed to gaps in the scientific understanding of fire’s environmental impact, emphasizing the need for better geochemical tools to study erosion, solute movement and metal cycling. She also challenged the notion of conservation as a return to a fixed past, noting that human influence has shaped landscapes for millennia, and that change, not stasis, is normal

“In the vast expanse of geologic time, lots of weird things happen,” she said in the panel. 

While many of the researchers sought to link their findings to broader themes, Fukami emphasized that indigenous science is inherently place-based, drawing on deep knowledge of a specific environment rather than striving for global applicability. In contrast, Western academia prioritizes research with universal relevance.

“What’s really key now with stewardship is unlearning the idea that we need the Western science system—that technology and engineering is what we need and everything else is secondary,” Fukami said. “Indigenous science and wisdom are much older than Western conventional science, and there’s a lot of knowledge and wisdom there already.” 

Jerry Hearn, a docent at the preserve and Portola Valley resident, said he appreciated the complexity of environmental questions and the researchers’ interdisciplinary approach. He also noted the importance of distilling complex ideas into accessible messages. 

“It’s about the message, and it’s also about how you message,” he said.

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