32. Can succession be controlled?

Yes, by using fire as you can see above in this controlled burn. For example, if you want to revert an environment back a step, a light burn will take it back. This is quick and much less expensive than the effort it would take to do this manually.

In a redwood forest, the prevention of fire has caused the overgrowth of pines to the detriment of the redwoods. A light burn favors the fire resistant redwoods and burns out the pines. As you can see in the photo above, the thick bark has protected the sensitive tissues of the tree.

If a grassland is becoming a shrubland and you want to continue to graze the land, a light burn will take out the shrubs and encourage grasses to grow.