Introduction
This section focuses on the impacts of fire regimes on biota and habitats, and the adaptations and responses of plants and animals to fire. This section is structured around four scales of consideration:
- individual plants and animals
- populations
- communities
- ecosystems
You will discover while working on this section that there is no simple answer to the question 'What is the best fire regime for biota in general?', instead you will find a range of responses for different biota, and that no one fire regime suits all species.
Although just as with many aspects of fire and burning there is no simple answer, there are some general principles.
This section starts with the broader perspective of the relationships between climate, vegetation and fire.
The focus then shifts to the effects of fire regime on plants and animals, as individuals, populations and communities.
The section concludes with consideration of the impacts of fire at the ecosystem scale, and the effects of fire on nutrient cycling, hydrology and climate.
