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Can trophic rewilding reduce the impact of fire in a more flammable world?

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 22:04 authored by Christopher JohnsonChristopher Johnson, Lynda PriorLynda Prior, Archibald, S, Poulos, HM, Barton, AM, Grant WilliamsonGrant Williamson, David BowmanDavid Bowman
Large vertebrates affect fire regimes in several ways: by consuming plant matter that would otherwise accumulate as fuel; by controlling and varying the density of vegetation; and by engineering the soil and litter layer. These processes can regulate the frequency, intensity and extent of fire. The evidence for these effects is strongest in environments with intermediate rainfall, warm temperatures and graminoid-dominated ground vegetation. Probably, extinction of Quaternary megafauna triggered increased biomass burning in many such environments. Recent and continuing declines of large vertebrates are likely to be significant contributors to changes in fire regimes and vegetation that are currently being experienced in many parts of the world. To date, rewilding projects that aim to restore large herbivores have paid little attention to the value of large animals in moderating fire regimes. Rewilding potentially offers a powerful tool for managing the risks of wildfire and its impacts on natural and human values.

History

Publication title

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences

Volume

373

Issue

1761

Article number

20170443

Number

20170443

Pagination

1-9

ISSN

0962-8436

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Royal Soc London

Place of publication

6 Carlton House Terrace, London, England, Sw1Y 5Ag

Rights statement

Copyright 2018 The Authors Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Terrestrial biodiversity

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