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Brassard F, Murphy BP, Andersen AN. The impacts of fire vary among vertical strata: Responses of ant communities to long-term experimental burning. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024:e3025. [PMID: 39166511 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Fire is a powerful tool for conservation management at a landscape scale, but a rigorous evidence base is often lacking for understanding its impacts on biodiversity in different biomes. Fire-induced changes to habitat openness have been identified as an underlying driver of responses of faunal communities, including for ants. However, most studies of the impacts of fire on ant communities consider only epigeic (foraging on the soil surface) species, which may not reflect the responses of species inhabiting other vertical strata. Here, we examine how the responses of ant communities vary among vertical strata in a highly fire-prone biome. We use a long-term field experiment to quantify the effects of fire on the abundance, richness, and composition of ant assemblages of four vertical strata (subterranean, leaf litter, epigeic, and arboreal) in an Australian tropical savanna. We first document the extent to which each stratum harbors distinct assemblages. We then assess how the assemblage of each stratum responds to three fire-related predictors: fire frequency, fire activity, and vegetation cover. Each stratum harbored a distinct ant assemblage and showed different responses to fire. Leaf litter and epigeic ants were most sensitive to fire because it directly affects their microhabitats, but they showed contrasting negative and positive responses, respectively. Subterranean ants were the least sensitive because of the insulating effects of soil. Our results show that co-occurring species of the same taxonomic group differ in the strength and direction of their response to fire depending on the stratum they inhabit. As such, effective fire management for biodiversity conservation should consider species in all vertical strata.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brett P Murphy
- Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northwest Territory, Australia
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northwest Territory, Australia
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2
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Calhoun KL, Connor T, Gaynor KM, Van Scoyoc A, McInturff A, Kreling SES, Brashares JS. Movement behavior in a dominant ungulate underlies successful adjustment to a rapidly changing landscape following megafire. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:53. [PMID: 39085926 PMCID: PMC11293098 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00488-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Movement plays a key role in allowing animal species to adapt to sudden environmental shifts. Anthropogenic climate and land use change have accelerated the frequency of some of these extreme disturbances, including megafire. These megafires dramatically alter ecosystems and challenge the capacity of several species to adjust to a rapidly changing landscape. Ungulates and their movement behaviors play a central role in the ecosystem functions of fire-prone ecosystems around the world. Previous work has shown behavioral plasticity is an important mechanism underlying whether large ungulates are able to adjust to recent changes in their environments effectively. Ungulates may respond to the immediate effects of megafire by adjusting their movement and behavior, but how these responses persist or change over time following disturbance is poorly understood. METHODS We examined how an ecologically dominant ungulate with strong site fidelity, Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), adjusted its movement and behavior in response to an altered landscape following a megafire. To do so, we collected GPS data from 21 individual female deer over the course of a year to compare changes in home range size over time and used resource selection functions (RSFs) and hidden Markov movement models (HMMs) to assess changes in behavior and habitat selection. RESULTS We found compelling evidence of adaptive capacity across individual deer in response to megafire. Deer avoided exposed and severely burned areas that lack forage and could be riskier for predation immediately following megafire, but they later altered these behaviors to select areas that burned at higher severities, potentially to take advantage of enhanced forage. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that despite their high site fidelity, deer can navigate altered landscapes to track rapid shifts in encounter risk with predators and resource availability. This successful adjustment of movement and behavior following extreme disturbance could help facilitate resilience at broader ecological scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall L Calhoun
- Department of Environmental, Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 137 Mulford #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- , 210 Wellman Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Thomas Connor
- Department of Environmental, Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 137 Mulford #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Departments of Zoology & Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Amy Van Scoyoc
- Department of Environmental, Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 137 Mulford #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alex McInturff
- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Samantha E S Kreling
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, University of Washington, Anderson Hall, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental, Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 137 Mulford #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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3
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Santos X, Chergui B, Belliure J, Moreira F, Pausas JG. Reptile responses to fire across the western Mediterranean Basin. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14326. [PMID: 38949049 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Effects of anthropogenic activities, including climate change, are modifying fire regimes, and the dynamic nature of these modifications requires identification of general patterns of organisms' responses to fire. This is a challenging task because of the high complexity of factors involved (including climate, geography, land use, and species-specific ecology). We aimed to describe the responses of the reptile community to fire across a range of environmental and fire-history conditions in the western Mediterranean Basin. We sampled 8 sites that spanned 4 Mediterranean countries. We recorded 6064 reptile sightings of 36 species in 1620 transects and modeled 3 community metrics (total number of individuals, species richness, and Shannon diversity) as responses to environmental and fire-history variables. Reptile community composition was also analyzed. Habitat type (natural vs. afforestation), fire age class (time since the last fire), rainfall, and temperature were important factors in explaining these metrics. The total number of individuals varied according to fire age class, reaching a peak at 15-40 years after the last fire. Species richness and Shannon diversity were more stable during postfire years. The 3 community metrics were higher under postfire conditions than in unburned forest plots. This pattern was particularly prevalent in afforested plots, indicating that the negative effect of fire on reptiles was lower than the negative effect of afforestation. Community composition varied by fire age class, indicating the existence of early- and late-successional species (xeric and saxicolous vs. mesic reptiles, respectively). Species richness was 46% higher in areas with a single fire age class relative to those with a mixture of fire age classes, which indicates pyrodiverse landscapes promoted reptile diversity. An expected shift to more frequent fires will bias fire age distribution toward a predominance of early stages, and this will be harmful to reptile communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Santos
- CIBIO/InBIO (Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Brahim Chergui
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique, Conservation de la Biodiversité, LESCB URL-CNRST N°18, FS, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tétouan, Morocco
| | - Josabel Belliure
- Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group (GloCEE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Moreira
- CIBIO/InBIO (Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources/Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (CIBIO/InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Juli G Pausas
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CIDE-CSIC), Moncada, Spain
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4
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Evans MJ, MacGregor C, Lindenmayer D. A misleading tail: A long-term study of reptile responses to multiple disturbances undermined by a change in surveying techniques. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305518. [PMID: 38875283 PMCID: PMC11178227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term ecological monitoring is crucial to understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems, communities, and populations. Despite this, monitoring data are lacking or rare for the vast majority of biodiversity. Here we report the results of 19 years (2003-2022) of continuous annual monitoring of reptile species at Booderee National Park (BNP) on the east coast of south-eastern Australia. We tested the effects of time, habitat type, fire, and climate on detections of five reptile species. Our study revealed declines in detections of two skink species over time (Lampropholis delicata and Ctenotus taeniolatus), which we suspect was partly driven by weather conditions influencing activity of these species. We also identified broad vegetation type associations for two congeneric species with L. delicata being associated with forested sites, and Lampropholis guichenoti associated with more shrubby sites. Our results also demonstrated a clear association between Cryptophis nigrescens and L. delicata and fire, with the probabilities of detection of both species decreasing with time since fire in the short term. At about the midway point of our study (in 2011), we were forced to make a change in the way our data were collected. The change heavily influenced our findings, and so breached the integrity of the time series in our dataset. We acknowledge that a simple but crucial step to mitigate this breach would have been to conduct calibration that allowed subsequent analysis to control for a change in field survey methodology. Whilst improvements in the effectiveness of field survey methods might be possible through new technologies, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of long-term datasets as data collection continues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maldwyn John Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher MacGregor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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5
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Magioli M, Lima LHA, Villela PMS, Sampaio R, Bonjorne L, Ribeiro RLA, Kantek DLZ, Miyazaki SS, Semedo TBF, Libardi GS, Saranholi BH, Eriksson CE, Morato RG, Berlinck CN. Forest type modulates mammalian responses to megafires. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13538. [PMID: 38866909 PMCID: PMC11169498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64460-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Although considered an evolutionary force responsible for shaping ecosystems and biodiversity, fires' natural cycle is being altered by human activities, increasing the odds of destructive megafire events. Here, we show that forest type modulates the responses of terrestrial mammals, from species to assemblage level, to a catastrophic megafire in the Brazilian Pantanal. We unraveled that mammalian richness was higher 1 year after fire passage compared to a pre-fire condition, which can be attributed to habitat modification caused by wildfires, attracting herbivores and open-area tolerant species. We observed changes in assemblage composition between burned/unburned sites, but no difference in mammalian richness or relative abundance. However, by partitioning the effects of burned area proportion per forest type (monospecific vs. polyspecific), we detected differential responses of mammals at several levels of organization, with pronounced declines in species richness and relative abundance in monospecific forests. Eighty-six percent of the species presented moderate to strong negative effects on their relative abundance, with an overall strong negative effect for the entire assemblage. Wildfires are predicted to be more frequent with climate and land use change, and if events analogous to Pantanal-2020 become recurrent, they might trigger regional beta diversity change, benefitting open-area tolerant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Magioli
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LAEC), Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Luanne Helena Augusto Lima
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Sampaio
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LAEC), Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lilian Bonjorne
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renan Lieto Alves Ribeiro
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Luis Zanella Kantek
- Estação Ecológica de Taiamã, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Selma Samiko Miyazaki
- Estação Ecológica de Taiamã, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago B F Semedo
- InBIO Laboratório Associado, CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002, Porto, Portugal
| | - Gustavo S Libardi
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Bruno H Saranholi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Charlotte E Eriksson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Ronaldo Gonçalves Morato
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Conservação e Uso Sustentável da Biodiversidade, Secretaria Nacional de Biodiversidade, Floresta e Direito dos Animais, Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança Clima, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Christian Niel Berlinck
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
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Doherty TS, Macdonald KJ, Nimmo DG, Santos JL, Geary WL. Shifting fire regimes cause continent-wide transformation of threatened species habitat. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316417121. [PMID: 38648477 PMCID: PMC11067043 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316417121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Human actions are causing widespread increases in fire size, frequency, and severity in diverse ecosystems globally. This alteration of fire regimes is considered a threat to numerous animal species, but empirical evidence of how fire regimes are shifting within both threatened species' ranges and protected areas is scarce, particularly at large spatial and temporal scales. We used a big data approach to quantify multidecadal changes in fire regimes in southern Australia from 1980 to 2021, spanning 415 reserves (21.5 million ha) and 129 threatened species' ranges including birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, and frogs. Most reserves and threatened species' ranges within the region have experienced declines in unburnt vegetation (≥30 y without fire), increases in recently burnt vegetation (≤5 y since fire), and increases in fire frequency. The mean percentage of unburnt vegetation within reserves declined from 61 to 36% (1980 to 2021), whereas the mean percentage of recently burnt vegetation increased from 20 to 35%, and mean fire frequency increased by 32%, with the latter two trends primarily driven by the record-breaking 2019 to 2020 fire season. The strongest changes occurred for high-elevation threatened species, and reserves of high elevation, high productivity, and strong rainfall decline, particularly in the southeast of the continent. Our results provide evidence for the widely held but poorly tested assumption that threatened species are experiencing widespread declines in unburnt habitat and increases in fire frequency. This underscores the imperative for developing management strategies that conserve fire-threatened species in an increasingly fiery future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW2006, Australia
| | - Kristina J. Macdonald
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC3125, Australia
| | - Dale G. Nimmo
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW2640, Australia
- Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW2640, Australia
| | - Julianna L. Santos
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC3010, Australia
| | - William L. Geary
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC3125, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC3010, Australia
- Biodiversity Strategy and Planning Branch, Biodiversity Division, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, East Melbourne, VIC3002, Australia
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7
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Harrison ME, Deere NJ, Imron MA, Nasir D, Adul, Asti HA, Aragay Soler J, Boyd NC, Cheyne SM, Collins SA, D’Arcy LJ, Erb WM, Green H, Healy W, Hendri, Holly B, Houlihan PR, Husson SJ, Iwan, Jeffers KA, Kulu IP, Kusin K, Marchant NC, Morrogh-Bernard HC, Page SE, Purwanto A, Ripoll Capilla B, de Rivera Ortega OR, Santiano, Spencer KL, Sugardjito J, Supriatna J, Thornton SA, Frank van Veen FJ, Yulintine, Struebig MJ. Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307216121. [PMID: 38621126 PMCID: PMC11047076 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307216121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncontrolled fires place considerable burdens on forest ecosystems, compromising our ability to meet conservation and restoration goals. A poor understanding of the impacts of fire on ecosystems and their biodiversity exacerbates this challenge, particularly in tropical regions where few studies have applied consistent analytical techniques to examine a broad range of ecological impacts over multiyear time frames. We compiled 16 y of data on ecosystem properties (17 variables) and biodiversity (21 variables) from a tropical peatland in Indonesia to assess fire impacts and infer the potential for recovery. Burned forest experienced altered structural and microclimatic conditions, resulting in a proliferation of nonforest vegetation and erosion of forest ecosystem properties and biodiversity. Compared to unburned forest, habitat structure, tree density, and canopy cover deteriorated by 58 to 98%, while declines in species diversity and abundance were most pronounced for trees, damselflies, and butterflies, particularly for forest specialist species. Tracking ecosystem property and biodiversity datasets over time revealed most to be sensitive to recurrent high-intensity fires within the wider landscape. These megafires immediately compromised water quality and tree reproductive phenology, crashing commercially valuable fish populations within 3 mo and driving a gradual decline in threatened vertebrates over 9 mo. Burned forest remained structurally compromised long after a burn event, but vegetation showed some signs of recovery over a 12-y period. Our findings demonstrate that, if left uncontrolled, fire may be a pervasive threat to the ecological functioning of tropical forests, underscoring the importance of fire prevention and long-term restoration efforts, as exemplified in Indonesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E. Harrison
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, PenrynTR10 9FE, United Kingdom
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, LeicesterLE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas J. Deere
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Ali Imron
- Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta55281, Indonesia
| | - Darmae Nasir
- Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands, University of Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Adul
- Yayasan Borneo Nature Indonesia, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Hastin Ambar Asti
- Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta55281, Indonesia
| | - Joana Aragay Soler
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas C. Boyd
- Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Aberystwyth, AberystwthSY23 1DE, United Kingdom
| | - Susan M. Cheyne
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, OxfordOX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah A. Collins
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, PlymouthPL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Laura J. D’Arcy
- Borneo Nature Foundation International, Tremough Innovation Centre, PenrynTR10 9TA, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy M. Erb
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14850
| | - Hannah Green
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, PlymouthPL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - William Healy
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, PenrynTR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Hendri
- Yayasan Borneo Nature Indonesia, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Brendan Holly
- Environmental Studies, Centre College, Danville, KY40422
| | - Peter R. Houlihan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095-1496
| | - Simon J. Husson
- Borneo Nature Foundation International, Tremough Innovation Centre, PenrynTR10 9TA, United Kingdom
| | - Iwan
- Yayasan Borneo Nature Indonesia, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Karen A. Jeffers
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, OxfordOX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Ici P. Kulu
- Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands, University of Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Kitso Kusin
- Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands, University of Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Nicholas C. Marchant
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - Helen C. Morrogh-Bernard
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, PenrynTR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Susan E. Page
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, LeicesterLE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Ari Purwanto
- Yayasan Borneo Nature Indonesia, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Bernat Ripoll Capilla
- Borneo Nature Foundation International, Tremough Innovation Centre, PenrynTR10 9TA, United Kingdom
| | - Oscar Rodriguez de Rivera Ortega
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, ExeterEX4 4QF, United Kingdom
| | - Santiano
- Yayasan Borneo Nature Indonesia, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Katie L. Spencer
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Jito Sugardjito
- Centre for Sustainable Energy and Resources Management, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta12520, Indonesia
- Faculty of Biology, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta12520, Indonesia
| | - Jatna Supriatna
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, Depok16424, Indonesia
| | - Sara A. Thornton
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, LeicesterLE1 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - F. J. Frank van Veen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, PenrynTR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Yulintine
- Centre for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands, University of Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya73112, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
| | - Matthew J. Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NR, United Kingdom
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Bardales R, Boron V, Passos Viana DF, Sousa LL, Dröge E, Porfirio G, Jaramillo M, Payán E, Sillero-Zubiri C, Hyde M. Neotropical mammal responses to megafires in the Brazilian Pantanal. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17278. [PMID: 38655695 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The increasing frequency and severity of human-caused fires likely have deleterious effects on species distribution and persistence. In 2020, megafires in the Brazilian Pantanal burned 43% of the biome's unburned area and resulted in mass mortality of wildlife. We investigated changes in habitat use or occupancy for an assemblage of eight mammal species in Serra do Amolar, Brazil, following the 2020 fires using a pre- and post-fire camera trap dataset. Additionally, we estimated the density for two naturally marked species, jaguars Panthera onca and ocelots Leopardus pardalis. Of the eight species, six (ocelots, collared peccaries Dicotyles tajacu, giant armadillos Priodontes maximus, Azara's agouti Dasyprocta azarae, red brocket deer Mazama americana, and tapirs Tapirus terrestris) had declining occupancy following fires, and one had stable habitat use (pumas Puma concolor). Giant armadillo experienced the most precipitous decline in occupancy from 0.431 ± 0.171 to 0.077 ± 0.044 after the fires. Jaguars were the only species with increasing habitat use, from 0.393 ± 0.127 to 0.753 ± 0.085. Jaguar density remained stable across years (2.8 ± 1.3, 3.7 ± 1.3, 2.6 ± 0.85/100 km2), while ocelot density increased from 13.9 ± 3.2 to 16.1 ± 5.2/100 km2. However, the low number of both jaguars and ocelots recaptured after the fire period suggests that immigration may have sustained the population. Our results indicate that the megafires will have significant consequences for species occupancy and fitness in fire-affected areas. The scale of megafires may inhibit successful recolonization, thus wider studies are needed to investigate population trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Bardales
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Valeria Boron
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
- The Living Planet Centre, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) UK, Woking, Surrey, UK
| | | | - Lara L Sousa
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Egil Dröge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | | | | | - Esteban Payán
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, New York, USA
| | - Claudio Sillero-Zubiri
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Matthew Hyde
- Panthera Cooperation, New York, New York, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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9
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Cope HR, McArthur C, Gray R, Newsome TM, Dickman CR, Sriram A, Haering R, Herbert CA. Trends in Rescue and Rehabilitation of Marsupials Surviving the Australian 2019-2020 Bushfires. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1019. [PMID: 38612258 PMCID: PMC11011103 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season had a devastating impact on native wildlife. It was estimated that 3 billion native animals were impacted by the fires, yet there are few estimates of the number of animals that were rescued and rehabilitated post-fire. Focusing on the state of New South Wales (NSW) and Kangaroo Island, South Australia, we used a case study approach to determine the number of marsupials that were reported rescued due to the 2019-2020 bushfires in these areas and analysed species-specific trends in rescue and release success. In NSW, we found 889 reports of fire-affected marsupials in 2019-2020, mostly comprising kangaroos and wallabies (macropods; n = 458), koalas (n = 204), and possums (n = 162), with a smaller number of wombats (n = 43) and other marsupial species. Most reports of fire-affected marsupials occurred 6-8 weeks after fire ignition, and there was no difference in temporal frequency of rescues between marsupial groups. For the three main groups, the probability of survival and subsequent release differed, with macropods having the lowest probability of release after rescue (0.15 ± 0.04) compared to koalas (0.47 ± 0.04) and possums (0.55 ± 0.10). The type of injury was the main predictor of survival during rehabilitation for all three marsupial groups, with those malnourished/moribund or with traumatic injuries less likely to survive rehabilitation. Death or euthanasia occurred on the day of rescue for 77% of macropods, 48% of possums and 15% of koalas. Koalas most often died during rehabilitation rather than on the day of rescue, with 73% either dying or being euthanised between day 1 and 30 post-rescue, representing a potential welfare concern. On Kangaroo Island, koalas were the most frequently rescued marsupial species; most euthanasia cases and deaths occurred in a hospital, whereas other marsupials were mostly euthanised at triage. In both jurisdictions, koalas were over-represented while possums were under-represented relative to baseline population densities and wildlife rescue trends in the years before the 2019-2020 bushfires. These species differences in presentation post-fire warrant further investigation, as do the differences in triage, survival and release outcomes. It is hypothesised that the high intensity and large scale of the 2019-2020 fires impeded marsupial fire evasion tactics, as evidenced by the small number of animals found for rescue, and the differing rates of presentation relative to underlying population densities for the main marsupial groups. Based on our findings, there is a need for detailed record keeping and data sharing, development of consistent and evidence-based triage, treatment and euthanasia guidelines and deployment of trained wildlife emergency rescue teams with advanced search techniques to minimise animal suffering where safe to do so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly R. Cope
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (H.R.C.); (R.G.)
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
| | - Rachael Gray
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (H.R.C.); (R.G.)
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
| | - Christopher R. Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
| | - Aditi Sriram
- New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Ron Haering
- New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Catherine A. Herbert
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
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10
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Iwińska K, Wirowska M, Borowski Z, Boratyński Z, Solecki P, Ciesielski M, Boratyński JS. Energy allocation is revealed while behavioural performance persists after fire disturbance. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247114. [PMID: 38323432 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic physiology and animal behaviour are often considered to be linked, positively or negatively, according to either the performance or allocation models. Performance seems to predominate over allocation in natural systems, but the constraining environmental context may reveal allocation limitations to energetically expensive behaviours. Habitat disturbance, such as the large-scale fire that burnt wetlands of Biebrza National Park (NE Poland), degrades natural ecosystems. It arguably reduces food and shelter availability, modifies predator-prey interactions, and poses a direct threat for animal survival, such as that of the wetland specialist root vole Microtus oeconomus. We hypothesized that fire disturbance induces physiology-behaviour co-expression, as a consequence of changed environmental context. We repeatedly measured maintenance and exercise metabolism, and behavioural responses to the open field, in a root voles from post-fire and unburnt locations. Highly repeatable maintenance metabolism and distance moved during behavioural tests correlated positively, but relatively labile exercise metabolism did not covary with behaviour. At the same time, voles from a post-fire habitat had higher maintenance metabolism and moved shorter distances than voles from unburnt areas. We conclude there is a prevalence of the performance mechanism, but simultaneous manifestation of context-dependent allocation constraints of the physiology-behaviour covariation after disturbance. The last occurs at the within-individual level, indicating the significance of behavioural plasticity in the context of environmental disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Iwińska
- University of Białystok Doctoral School in Exact and Natural Sciences, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - Martyna Wirowska
- Adam Mickiewicz University, Department of Systematic Zoology, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- BIOPOLIS, CIBIO/InBio, Research Center in Biodiversity & Genetic Resources, University of Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Paweł Solecki
- Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Jan S Boratyński
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
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11
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Gorta SBZ, Callaghan CT, Samonte F, Ooi MKJ, Mesaglio T, Laffan SW, Cornwell WK. Multi-taxon biodiversity responses to the 2019-2020 Australian megafires. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6727-6740. [PMID: 37823682 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Conditions conducive to fires are becoming increasingly common and widespread under climate change. Recent fire events across the globe have occurred over unprecedented scales, affecting a diverse array of species and habitats. Understanding biodiversity responses to such fires is critical for conservation. Quantifying post-fire recovery is problematic across taxa, from insects to plants to vertebrates, especially at large geographic scales. Novel datasets can address this challenge. We use presence-only citizen science data from iNaturalist, collected before and after the 2019-2020 megafires in burnt and unburnt regions of eastern Australia, to quantify the effect of post-fire diversity responses, up to 18 months post-fire. The geographic, temporal, and taxonomic sampling of this dataset was large, but sampling effort and species discoverability were unevenly spread. We used rarefaction and prediction (iNEXT) with which we controlled sampling completeness among treatments, to estimate diversity indices (Hill numbers: q = 0-2) among nine broad taxon groupings and seven habitats, including 3885 species. We estimated an increase in species diversity up to 18 months after the 2019-2020 Australian megafires in regions which were burnt, compared to before the fires in burnt and unburnt regions. Diversity estimates in dry sclerophyll forest matched and likely drove this overall increase post-fire, while no taxon groupings showed clear increases inconsistent with both control treatments post-fire. Compared to unburnt regions, overall diversity across all taxon groupings and habitats greatly decreased in areas exposed to extreme fire severity. Post-fire life histories are complex and species detectability is an important consideration in all post-fire sampling. We demonstrate how fire characteristics, distinct taxa, and habitat influence biodiversity, as seen in local-scale datasets. Further integration of large-scale datasets with small-scale studies will lead to a more robust understanding of fire recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon B Z Gorta
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Corey T Callaghan
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, Florida, USA
| | - Fabrice Samonte
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark K J Ooi
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas Mesaglio
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shawn W Laffan
- Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Will K Cornwell
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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12
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Jones GM, Goldberg JF, Wilcox TM, Buckley LB, Parr CL, Linck EB, Fountain ED, Schwartz MK. Fire-driven animal evolution in the Pyrocene. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1072-1084. [PMID: 37479555 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Fire regimes are a major agent of evolution in terrestrial animals. Changing fire regimes and the capacity for rapid evolution in wild animal populations suggests the potential for rapid, fire-driven adaptive animal evolution in the Pyrocene. Fire drives multiple modes of evolutionary change, including stabilizing, directional, disruptive, and fluctuating selection, and can strongly influence gene flow and genetic drift. Ongoing and future research in fire-driven animal evolution will benefit from further development of generalizable hypotheses, studies conducted in highly responsive taxa, and linking fire-adapted phenotypes to their underlying genetic basis. A better understanding of evolutionary responses to fire has the potential to positively influence conservation strategies that embrace evolutionary resilience to fire in the Pyrocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin M Jones
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Albuquerque, NM 87102, USA.
| | - Joshua F Goldberg
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Albuquerque, NM 87102, USA
| | - Taylor M Wilcox
- National Genomics Center for Fish and Wildlife Conservation, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Lauren B Buckley
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Catherine L Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 5TR, UK; Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
| | - Ethan B Linck
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Emily D Fountain
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michael K Schwartz
- National Genomics Center for Fish and Wildlife Conservation, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
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13
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Paul MJ, LeDuc SD, Boaggio K, Herrick JD, Kaylor SD, Lassiter MG, Nolte CG, Rice RB. Effects of Air Pollutants from Wildfires on Downwind Ecosystems: Observations, Knowledge Gaps, and Questions for Assessing Risk. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14787-14796. [PMID: 37769297 PMCID: PMC11345788 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires have increased in frequency and area burned, trends expected to continue with climate change. Among other effects, fires release pollutants into the atmosphere, representing a risk to human health and downwind terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. While human health risks are well studied, the ecological impacts to downwind ecosystems are not, and this gap may present a constraint on developing an adequate assessment of the ecological risks associated with downwind wildfire exposure. Here, we first screened the scientific literature to assess general knowledge about pathways and end points of a conceptual model linking wildfire generated pollutants and other materials to downwind ecosystems. We found a substantial body of literature on the composition of wildfire derived pollution and materials in the atmosphere and subsequent transport, yet little observational or experimental work on their effects on downwind ecological end points. This dearth of information raises many questions related to adequately assessing the ecological risk of downwind exposure, especially given increasing wildfire trends. To guide future research, we pose eight questions within the well-established US EPA ecological risk assessment paradigm that if answered would greatly improve ecological risk assessment and, ultimately, management strategies needed to reduce potential wildfire impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Paul
- Tetra Tech Inc., PO Box 14409, Durham, NC 27709 USA
- Current address: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, 1301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC 20460 USA
| | - Stephen D. LeDuc
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - Katie Boaggio
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Herrick
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - S. Douglas Kaylor
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - Meredith G. Lassiter
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - Christopher G. Nolte
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
| | - R. Byron Rice
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 USA
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14
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Brassard F, Pettit MJ, Murphy BP, Andersen AN. Fire influences ant diversity by modifying vegetation structure in an Australian tropical savanna. Ecology 2023; 104:e4143. [PMID: 37471112 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Fire is a dominant ecological force shaping many faunal communities globally. Fire affects fauna either directly, such as by killing individuals, or indirectly, such as by modifying vegetation structure. Vegetation structure itself also modulates fire frequency and intensity. As such, faunal responses to fire need to be seen through the lens of variable fire activity and vegetation structure. Here, we incorporate information on fire activity and vegetation structure to enhance an understanding of the response of ants to long-term (17-year) experimental fire treatments in an extremely fire-prone tropical savanna in northern Australia. Previous analysis revealed limited divergence in ant communities after 5 years of experimental fire treatment. Hence, we first investigated the extent to which ant communities diverged over a subsequent 12 years of treatment. We then assessed the relative contribution of fire treatment, cumulative fire intensity (fire activity), and woody cover to responses of ant species frequency of occurrence, richness, and composition. We found that, even after 17 years, fire treatments explained little variation in any ant response variable. In contrast, woody cover was a strong predictor for all of them, while fire activity was a moderate predictor for abundance and richness. Ant species occurrence and richness increased in open habitats receiving higher levels of fire activity, compared with plots with higher vegetation cover experiencing low (or no) fire activity. Moreover, species composition differed between plots with high and low vegetation cover. Our findings provide experimental support to the principle that the effects of fire on fauna are primarily indirect, via its effect on vegetation structure. Furthermore, our results show that a "uniform" fire regime does not have uniform impacts on the ant fauna, because of variability imposed by interactions between vegetation structure and fire activity. This helps to explain why there is often a weak relationship between pyrodiversity and biodiversity, and it lessens the need for active management of pyrodiversity to maintain biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Brassard
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Magen J Pettit
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Brett P Murphy
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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15
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Michel A, Johnson JR, Szeligowski R, Ritchie EG, Sih A. Integrating sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to understand animal responses to fire. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1050-1070. [PMID: 37349260 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Fire regimes are changing dramatically worldwide due to climate change, habitat conversion, and the suppression of Indigenous landscape management. Although there has been extensive work on plant responses to fire, including their adaptations to withstand fire and long-term effects of fire on plant communities, less is known about animal responses to fire. Ecologists lack a conceptual framework for understanding behavioural responses to fire, which can hinder wildlife conservation and management. Here, we integrate cue-response sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to predict and explain variation in if, when and how animals react to approaching fire. Inspired by the literature on prey responses to predation risk, this framework considers both fire-naïve and fire-adapted animals and follows three key steps: vigilance, cue detection and response. We draw from theory on vigilance tradeoffs, signal detection, speed-accuracy tradeoffs, fear generalization, neophobia and adaptive dispersal. We discuss how evolutionary history with fire, but also other selective pressures, such as predation risk, should influence animal behavioural responses to fire. We conclude by providing guidance for empiricists and outlining potential conservation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Michel
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jacob R Johnson
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Richard Szeligowski
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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16
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Pocknee CA, Legge SM, McDonald J, Fisher DO. Modeling mammal response to fire based on species' traits. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023:e14062. [PMID: 36704894 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Fire has shaped ecological communities worldwide for millennia, but impacts of fire on individual species are often poorly understood. We performed a meta-analysis to predict which traits, habitat, or study variables and fire characteristics affect how mammal species respond to fire. We modeled effect sizes of measures of population abundance or occupancy as a function of various combinations of these traits and variables with phylogenetic least squares regression. Nine of 115 modeled species (7.83%) returned statistically significant effect sizes, suggesting most mammals are resilient to fire. The top-ranked model predicted a negative impact of fire on species with lower reproductive rates, regardless of fire type (estimate = -0.68), a positive impact of burrowing in prescribed fires (estimate = 1.46) but not wildfires, and a positive impact of average fire return interval for wildfires (estimate = 0.93) but not prescribed fires. If a species' International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessment includes fire as a known or possible threat, the species was predicted to respond negatively to wildfire relative to prescribed fire (estimate = -2.84). These findings provide evidence of experts' abilities to predict whether fire is a threat to a mammal species and the ability of managers to meet the needs of fire-threatened species through prescribed fire. Where empirical data are lacking, our methods provide a basis for predicting mammal responses to fire and thus can guide conservation actions or interventions in species or communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Pocknee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sarah M Legge
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jane McDonald
- Institute for Future Environments, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Diana O Fisher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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17
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Zylstra P. Quantifying the direct fire threat to a critically endangered arboreal marsupial using biophysical, mechanistic modelling. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Zylstra
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley Western Australia Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
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18
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Price OF, Mikac K, Wilson N, Roberts B, Critescu RH, Gallagher R, Mallee J, Donatiou P, Webb J, Keith DA, Letnic M, Mackenzie BD. Short‐term impacts of the 2019–20 fire season on biodiversity in eastern Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Owen F. Price
- School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Katarina Mikac
- School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Nicholas Wilson
- School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Bridget Roberts
- School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Romane H. Critescu
- Detection Dogs for Conservation University of the Sunshine Coast Sippy Downs Queensland Australia
| | - Rachael Gallagher
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith New South Wales Australia
| | - Justin Mallee
- North Coast Branch NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Alstonville New South Wales Australia
| | - Paul Donatiou
- Healthy Land and Water Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Jonathon Webb
- Environmental Science The University of Technology Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - David A. Keith
- Centre for Ecosystem Science (CES) University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Science, Economics and Insights Division Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Parramatta New South Wales Australia
| | - Michael Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science (CES) University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Berin D.W. Mackenzie
- Centre for Ecosystem Science (CES) University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Science, Economics and Insights Division Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Parramatta New South Wales Australia
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19
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Santos JL, Hradsky BA, Keith DA, Rowe KC, Senior KL, Sitters H, Kelly LT. Beyond inappropriate fire regimes: A synthesis of fire‐driven declines of threatened mammals in Australia. Conserv Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julianna L. Santos
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
| | - Bronwyn A. Hradsky
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
| | - David A. Keith
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
- New South Wales Department of Planning Infrastructure and Environment Parramatta Australia
| | - Kevin C. Rowe
- Sciences Department Museums Victoria Melbourne Australia
- School of BioSciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
| | - Katharine L. Senior
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
| | - Holly Sitters
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
| | - Luke T. Kelly
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
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20
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Kaiser SW, Greenlees MJ, Shine R. Sex-based differences in the use of post-fire habitats by invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). Sci Rep 2022; 12:10610. [PMID: 35739164 PMCID: PMC9226056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14697-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildfires can modify habitat attributes, and those changes may differentially affect males versus females within a species if there is pre-existing niche divergence between the sexes. We used radio-tracking and dissections to study invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina), and performed transect counts on native frogs and cane toads 12 months after extensive fires in forests of eastern Australia. Both toads and native frogs were encountered more frequently in burned sites than in unburned sites. Most microhabitat features were similar between burned versus unburned areas, but fire had differential impacts on the ecology of male versus female toads. In burned areas females were less numerous but were larger, in better body condition, and had consumed more prey (especially, coleopterans and myriapods). The impact of fire on attributes of retreat-sites (e.g., temperature, density of vegetation cover) also differed between the sexes. More generally, intraspecific divergence in ecological traits within a species (as a function of body size as well as sex) may translate into substantial divergences in the impacts of habitat change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon W Kaiser
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Matthew J Greenlees
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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21
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Doherty TS, Geary WL, Jolly CJ, Macdonald KJ, Miritis V, Watchorn DJ, Cherry MJ, Conner LM, González TM, Legge SM, Ritchie EG, Stawski C, Dickman CR. Fire as a driver and mediator of predator-prey interactions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1539-1558. [PMID: 35320881 PMCID: PMC9546118 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Both fire and predators have strong influences on the population dynamics and behaviour of animals, and the effects of predators may either be strengthened or weakened by fire. However, knowledge of how fire drives or mediates predator–prey interactions is fragmented and has not been synthesised. Here, we review and synthesise knowledge of how fire influences predator and prey behaviour and interactions. We develop a conceptual model based on predator–prey theory and empirical examples to address four key questions: (i) how and why do predators respond to fire; (ii) how and why does prey vulnerability change post‐fire; (iii) what mechanisms do prey use to reduce predation risk post‐fire; and (iv) what are the outcomes of predator–fire interactions for prey populations? We then discuss these findings in the context of wildlife conservation and ecosystem management before outlining priorities for future research. Fire‐induced changes in vegetation structure, resource availability, and animal behaviour influence predator–prey encounter rates, the amount of time prey are vulnerable during an encounter, and the conditional probability of prey death given an encounter. How a predator responds to fire depends on fire characteristics (e.g. season, severity), their hunting behaviour (ambush or pursuit predator), movement behaviour, territoriality, and intra‐guild dynamics. Prey species that rely on habitat structure for avoiding predation often experience increased predation rates and lower survival in recently burnt areas. By contrast, some prey species benefit from the opening up of habitat after fire because it makes it easier to detect predators and to modify their behaviour appropriately. Reduced prey body condition after fire can increase predation risk either through impaired ability to escape predators, or increased need to forage in risky areas due to being energetically stressed. To reduce risk of predation in the post‐fire environment, prey may change their habitat use, increase sheltering behaviour, change their movement behaviour, or use camouflage through cryptic colouring and background matching. Field experiments and population viability modelling show instances where fire either amplifies or does not amplify the impacts of predators on prey populations, and vice versa. In some instances, intense and sustained post‐fire predation may lead to local extinctions of prey populations. Human disruption of fire regimes is impacting faunal communities, with consequences for predator and prey behaviour and population dynamics. Key areas for future research include: capturing data continuously before, during and after fires; teasing out the relative importance of changes in visibility and shelter availability in different contexts; documenting changes in acoustic and olfactory cues for both predators and prey; addressing taxonomic and geographic biases in the literature; and predicting and testing how changes in fire‐regime characteristics reshape predator–prey interactions. Understanding and managing the consequences for predator–prey communities will be critical for effective ecosystem management and species conservation in this era of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - William L Geary
- Biodiversity Strategy and Knowledge Branch, Biodiversity Division, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Chris J Jolly
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Gungalman Drive, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia.,School of Natural Sciences, G17, Macquarie University, 205B Culloden Road, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kristina J Macdonald
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Vivianna Miritis
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Darcy J Watchorn
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, MSC 218, Kingsville, TX, 78363, U.S.A
| | - L Mike Conner
- The Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA, 39870, U.S.A
| | - Tania Marisol González
- Laboratorio de Ecología del Paisaje y Modelación de Ecosistemas ECOLMOD, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Edificio 421, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
| | - Sarah M Legge
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Level 5 Goddard Building, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Clare Stawski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD, 4558, Australia
| | - Chris R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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22
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Yasin İlemin. Mortality Record of Caracal and Habitat Loss for Wildcat, Depending on Catastrophic Wildfires of Year 2021 in Southwestern Turkey. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021150073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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Nimmo DG, Andersen AN, Archibald S, Boer MM, Brotons L, Parr CL, Tingley MW. Fire ecology for the 21st century: Conserving biodiversity in the age of megafire. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dale G. Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences Charles Sturt University Albury New South Wales Australia
| | - Alan N. Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Ellengown Drive Brinkin Northern Territory Australia
| | - Sally Archibald
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Matthias M. Boer
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Richmond New South Wales Australia
| | - Lluís Brotons
- CTFC Solsona Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
- CSIC Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Department of Zoology & Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits South Africa
| | - Morgan W. Tingley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California – Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
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