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Abstract
Fire has been recognized as a natural and important physical factor in many ecoregions of North America. We wish to point out that our understanding of the biocomplexity of our natural ecosystems is far from complete; in particular, the role of fire in vegetation succession and ecosystem health deserves more scrutiny where biodiversity conservation is a primary or major goal of management. We present four case studies from southern California that are evidence of species and community persistence and renewal in the absence of wildfire or in the presence of low frequency fire events. A simplistic application of the "fire is good and necessary" paradigm may put certain taxa and habitats at risk.
Parent Publication
Citation
Walter, Hartmut S.; Brennan, Teresa; Albrecht, Christian. 2005. Fire management in some California ecosystems: a cautionary note. In: Kus, Barbara E., and Beyers, Jan L., technical coordinators. Planning for Biodiversity: Bringing Research and Management Together. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-195. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: 257-260
