The investigation of different disturbance interactions and the rate at which herbaceous species diversity and cover may change is crucial to conserving desert grasslands. We compared a prescribed fire homogenous (HM) management model to a heterogeneity (HT) based model, using two different ignition patterns, to determine the impact of each on vegetative biodiversity and cover in tobosagrass (Pleuraphis mutica) flats. Three objectives were identified for this project: 1) determine the size of disturbance that would result in increased heterogeneity and species diversity, 2) evaluate the effectiveness of burning, given the current physical and biological factors, and 3) compare community response between burned and unburned sites. Two prescribed fires were conducted in January 2010 (1 HM, 1 HT) and one prescribed fire was conducted in May 2010 (HM). Various vegetation measurements were collected pre- and post-treatment and sensors were placed in the burn units to ascertain fire behavior. HM applications of fire resulted in a fire occurrence of 93% and 98%, while the HT application of fire yielded a fire occurrence of 75%. Tobosagrass canopy and basal cover decreased in all treated experimental units. Further, recovery of tobosagrass canopy and basal cover was > 40% and > 65% at three and eight months post-treatment, respectively, on both HT and HM treatments. Species richness increased across all experimental units except for two unburned areas. The HT burn resulted in the largest increase in richness, which more than doubled post-treatment (105%), while the HM burns experienced 56% and 64% increases on the January and May fires, respectively. With this project we have gained information that will aid land managers in the use of prescribed fire in desert grassland ecosystems.