The uMkuze Game Reserve in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in South Africa

iSimangaliso Wetland Park - Photo Credits: iSimangaliso Wetland Park

As winter deepens, rainfall eases off and the grass turns yellow and dry, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in South Africa, conservation managers turn their attention to an integral element for the management of protected natural areas – fire. Controlled burns are an essential management tool for maintaining the optimal ecological functioning of fire-prone natural systems, allowing old, dead vegetation to burn off and new palatable grass to grow back in its place.