fireadapted

Fire-adapted describes organisms and communities that have evolved traits enabling them to survive, resist, or take advantage of fire in their environment. In fire-prone landscapes, fire-adapted species may endure fire events with little damage, or rapidly recover after fire, and entire ecosystems can be structured by regular fire.

Traits include resprouting from lignotubers or root crowns after damage; thick, insulating bark that slows heat penetration; serotiny, where seeds are released or germination is stimulated by heat or smoke; seed banks and rapid post-fire recruitment on nutrient-rich, exposed soils; and in grasses and forbs, rapid, opportunistic growth after fire.

Fire-adapted ecosystems may require periodic fire to maintain community structure and function, limiting fire-intolerant competitors and recycling nutrients. The specific adaptations reflect the fire regime of the region, including how often fires occur, their intensity, seasonality, and how long intervals are between fires.

Examples include longleaf pine ecosystems in the southeastern United States, which rely on frequent low-intensity fires; boreal and montane conifer forests with serotinous cones, such as lodgepole and jack pine; chaparral and many other Mediterranean-type shrublands with resprouting shrubs and seed banks; and some Australian sclerophyll communities with lignotubers and heat-triggered seed release.

Management implications: to preserve fire-adapted systems, land managers use prescribed burns and fuel-reduction treatments that mimic historical fire regimes, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires while maintaining ecological characteristics.