Gourt > Science > Biology > Ecology > Fire Ecology
INTRODUCTION
Fire ecology is the study of ecosystems impacted by fire. The discipline typically focuses on ecosystems with historical fire regimes that have shaped the composition and dynamics of ecological communities over evolutionary time scales, though now it has also become a sub-discipline of restoration ecology. Campaigns such as “Smokey Bear” in the USA have molded public opinion to believe that wildfires are always harmful to nature. This view is based on the outdated belief that ecosystems progress toward an equilibrium and that disturbance (such as fire) disrupts the harmony of nature. More recent ecological research has shown, however, that fire is an integral component to the function and biodiversity of many communities, and that the organisms within those communities have adapted to withstand and even exploit it. Fire suppression, in combination with other human-caused environmental changes, has resulted in unforeseen changes to ecosystem dynamics and species composition and has backfired to create some of the largest, most intense wildfires yet. Land managers are faced with tough questions about where it is appropriate to restore a fire regime and how to do it. These questions are crucial today as we see the consequences of years of fire suppression and the continued expansion of people into fire-adapted ecosystems.
COMPONENTS OF A FIRE REGIME
A fire regime describes the pattern that fire follows in a particular ecosystem. It consists of the following components (Bond and Keeley 2005): More on [ Fire ecology ]
Wildfires :: Natural Disasters and Hazards
#onthefarm Big spike in natural resources: Wildlife ecology and fire ecology, in particular, along with traditional forestry.
osuextensionguy (Donald Stotts) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:50:02 -0000
#onthefarm Big spike in natural resources: Wildlife ecology and fire ecology, in particular, along with traditional forestry.
3 boats involved in fire in Roche Harbor, Wash.: The Coast Guard and Washington Ecology officials say three boa.. http://bit.ly/4pp1Ab
tallsailboats (martin) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:20:37 -0000
3 boats involved in fire in Roche Harbor, Wash.: The Coast Guard and Washington Ecology officials say three boa.. http://bit.ly/4pp1Ab
Fire ecology lab report due monday, stem cells exam tues, conservation ecology exam wed, animal behavior exam thurs...too much!!
benrosenbaum1 (Ben) Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:07:35 -0000
Fire ecology lab report due monday, stem cells exam tues, conservation ecology exam wed, animal behavior exam thurs...too much!!
to all my fire ecology geek friends http://bit.ly/4k1VIx
Chris_Oneal (Christopher Oneal) Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:37:18 -0000
to all my fire ecology geek friends http://bit.ly/4k1VIx
California-Nevada-Hawaii Forest Fire Council - Information and networking on issues of wildland fire control and land management policies.
Meta Description: [ CNH information ]
E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database - Large bibliography covering applications of prescribed burning, control of wildfires, and other topics in fire ecology. International in scope with emphasis on North America.
Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) - Up-to-date information about fire effects on plants and animals of North America, developed at the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station's Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana.
Woods Ablaze - This edition of The Why Files examines the role of fire in natural systems, and the role of science in understanding wildfires.
Meta Description: [ fire, wildfire, forest fire, ecological restoration, ecology, invasive species ]
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