Prescribed burning may benefit rattlesnakes

A forest at first appears devastated after a fire, devoid of color. Ash and smoky plant remains cover the forest floor. In a few short weeks, however, shrubs and forbs will poke through the ash, taking advantage of the nitrogen that was released during the fire. Turkeys will feed on the remains of dead insects, and small mammals will emerge from their burrows to feed on seeds of oaks and hickories, whose thick bark protected them from the heat of the fire.