From the Preface ... 'Fire's impact upon the land, atmosphere, and global environment have been apparently more pronounced and more anxiety-causing to the public. The suppression of fire has caused harm to some ecosystems, either through elimination of fire-dependent species or by the creation of conditions prone to catastrophic conflagrations. With little 'flex' left in the system due to a burgeoning population, conversion of natural ecosystems, and pollution, the impacts of fires assume a greater importance. Some of today's herbicides seem to be more benign than those of the past, and tank mixtures are tailored to specific vegetation and ownership situations. Chemicals, mechanical treaments, and fire are used in varying sequences to maximize the vegetation gain from each.Just as important, attitudes toward vegetation management have changed. Restoration ecologists have recognized the need to use vegetation management of some form to achieve their goals. The widespread occurrences on non-industrial lands of exotic species, including those that are fire tolerant, have forced land managers to think about alternatives to fire or mechanical means of control.' © 2000, Tall Timbers Research, Inc. Abstract reproduced by permission.