The effects of fire and alternative managements on soil and vegetation of native pastures were revised from several research works, jointing personal observations developed during almost 40 years in range areas of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Soil parameters such as potential acidity; aluminum concentration; basis saturation; and others were considered with vegetation parameters such as production and quality of green forage dry matter during the year; botanical composition; volumetric amount of water in soil; nutrients cycling through the forage and dead material; etc. The general conclusion based on the results of the revised works, is that the burning of natural pastures, in the high altitude region of Southern Brazil, must be avoided as a routine practice, because it is detrimental to the environment, reduces the forage yield and quality, and it is not a sustainable practice.
fire; natural pasture; management