Prior to settlement, was Indiana dominated by semi arid grassland or was Indiana dominated by woodland or forests?

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Oh, there was also a nearly 50,000 acre fire in Nebraska just a week and a half ago. That just doesn't happen in areas of the actual humid Midwest east of the Mississippi River...

Actually, it does, particularly in Minnesota and Wisconsin where you have tallgrass prairie. Those types of habitats are actually fire-dependent. It may not happen as frequently but larger fires have been known to occur there. I know in the Indiana Dunes they conduct prescribed burns of the oak savanna periodically because it needs it. But - I will say that the fire risk drops off significantly the further east you go.

https://mrcc.purdue.edu/living_wx/wildfires/index.html

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Actually, it does, particularly in Minnesota and Wisconsin where you have tallgrass prairie. Those types of habitats are actually fire-dependent. It may not happen as frequently but larger fires have been known to occur there. I know in the Indiana Dunes they conduct prescribed burns of the oak savanna periodically because it needs it. But - I will say that the fire risk drops off significantly the further east you go.

https://mrcc.purdue.edu/living_wx/wildfires/index.html

You are correct, it can happen occasionally, although with human settlement patterns in the region have certainly prevented natural fires from occurring just about whenever possible. With warming and drying climate- the High Plains is becoming much more fire prone. There was a massive grassland fire in Russell County, KS last Fall that burned a huge area.