Fire effects on ecosystems

Record-breaking wildfire intensity and nocturnal spread during the extreme 2025 wildfire season in Southwestern Europe: causes and impacts

The paper analyzes the extreme 2025 wildfire season in Southwestern Europe, identifying increased fire intensity, nocturnal spread, and significant ecological and health impacts.

Prescribed Burns Drive Lasting Changes in Soil Nitrogen Cycling and Microbial Function

This study shows that repeated prescribed burns lead to long-term changes in soil nitrogen cycling and microbial function, not just short-term effects.

Empirical models of initial attack success are not suitable for triaging ignitions in Victoria, Australia

The paper develops empirical models to triage wildfires but finds they are inadequate for operational use due to unmeasured factors affecting initial attack success.

Changes in microhabitat structure around amphibian breeding ponds in the northern Rocky Mountains following severe wildfire

The paper assesses wildfire impacts on microhabitat structure around amphibian breeding ponds using before-after-control-impact data, finding significant changes in microhabitat composition at different distances from pond edges.

Seedling recruitment after fire: Disentangling the roles of microsite conditions and seed availability

This study experimentally manipulates seed inputs and fire timing to show that both seed availability and microsite conditions influence post-fire seedling recruitment in tallgrass prairie.

Fire shifts the structure and dynamics of woody plant communities in a mediterranean coastal dune ecosystem

This study examines how a wildfire in a Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystem affects woody plant community structure and dynamics, revealing homogenization and shifts in species interactions post-fire.

Wildfire alters nitrogen cycling to increase soil emissions of nitric oxide (NO) and the heterogeneity of nitrous oxide (N2O) in California chaparral

This study shows wildfires increase soil nitric oxide emissions and create heterogeneous nitrous oxide emissions in chaparral, with high emissions linked to burn severity.

Lightning-caused disturbance frequency and severity varies with topography in an Afromontane forest

The paper assesses lightning-caused disturbance frequency and severity across topography in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, finding higher frequency on ridges and greater damage in valleys, with species-specific tolerance differences.

Mojave Desert microbial communities show high resistance and resilience over three years despite widespread plant mortality following the Dome Fire

The paper examines microbial community resistance and resilience in the Mojave Desert after the Dome Fire, finding microbial biomass and richness remained largely unchanged despite significant plant mortality.

Gene Duplication, Horizontal Gene Transfer, and Trait Trade-offs Drive Evolution of Post-Fire Resource Acquisition in Pyrophilous Fungi

This study identifies genomic strategies and trait trade-offs in pyrophilous fungi that enable survival and nutrient cycling post-fire, revealing gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and sexual recombination as key evolutionary mechanisms.

A granular view of the traits controlling soil bacterial community reconstruction following a prescribed burn

The paper examines how soil bacterial communities recover after prescribed burns by analyzing genome conservation and functional equivalence across time and space.

Protected areas show substantial and increasing risk of wildfire globally

The paper quantifies global wildfire trends in protected areas, finding a significant increase in burned area despite their smaller coverage compared to semi-natural ecosystems.

Chaparral wildfire shifts the functional potential for soil pyrogenic organic matter and nitrogen cycling

The paper examines how wildfire alters soil microbial functional potential for PyOM degradation and nitrogen cycling over time using metagenomic analysis of burned and unburned soils.

Fire limits soil microbial dispersal and differentially impacts bacterial and fungal communities

This study finds fire limits soil microbial dispersal and increases ecological drift in fungi, while reducing fungal diversity and bacterial rare taxa.

Orchid losers and winners after fire in West Australian urban bushland: A response continuum deeply integrated with other traits

The paper assesses fire impacts on orchids in West Australian urban bushland, finding diverse fire responses linked to ecological traits and highlighting the need for careful fire management.

Integrating geospatial tools in mapping forest fire severity and burned areas in the Western Usambara Mountain Forests, Lushoto, Tanzania

This study maps forest fire severity in Western Usambara Mountain Forests using geospatial tools and socio-economic data, identifying agricultural activities and charcoal production as primary causes.

50-year fire legacy regulates soil microbial carbon and nutrient cycling responses to new fire

This study shows that soil fire legacy significantly influences microbial carbon and nutrient cycling responses to new fires, highlighting the importance of considering legacy effects in ecosystem studies.

Locally heterogeneous soil viral and prokaryotic responses to prescribed burn correspond with patchy burn severity in a mixed conifer forest

The paper examines how soil viral and prokaryotic communities respond to prescribed burns, finding that local burn severity drives heterogeneous responses.

Relative fire-proneness of land cover types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

This study assesses fire-proneness of land cover types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, finding secondary forests burn more than expected while old-growth forests burn less, with implications for fire management.

Fuel buildup shapes post-fire fuel decomposition through soil heating effects on plants, fungi, and soil chemistry

The paper quantifies how pre-fire fuel loads affect post-fire fuel decomposition through soil heating, showing increased soil heating reduces decomposition of new fuels.

Emissions of climate-altering species from open vegetation fires in the Mediterranean region - A review on methods and data

This paper reviews methods and data for quantifying emissions from open vegetation fires in the Mediterranean region, highlighting discrepancies across four inventories and recommending integrated approaches for improved accuracy.

Effects of fire and fire-induced changes in soil properties on post-burn soil respiration

This study examines how fire and soil property changes affect post-burn soil respiration in boreal forests, finding reduced respiration rates and altered carbon cycling patterns.

Impact of Prescribed Fire on Soil Microbial Communities in a Southern Appalachian Forest Clearcut

This study examines how prescribed fires affect soil microbial communities in a Southern Appalachian forest, finding minimal short-term effects but changes in nutrient concentrations and microbial diversity.