Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions

As climate change increases vegetation combustibility, humans are impacted by wildfires through loss of lives and property, leading to an increased emphasis on prescribed burning practices to reduce hazards. A key and pervading concept accepted by most environmental managers is that combustible ecos...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bradshaw, S., Dixon, Kingsley, Hopper, S., Lambers, H., Turner, S.
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2011
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/39264
_version_ 1848755544192450560
author Bradshaw, S.
Dixon, Kingsley
Hopper, S.
Lambers, H.
Turner, S.
author_facet Bradshaw, S.
Dixon, Kingsley
Hopper, S.
Lambers, H.
Turner, S.
author_sort Bradshaw, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description As climate change increases vegetation combustibility, humans are impacted by wildfires through loss of lives and property, leading to an increased emphasis on prescribed burning practices to reduce hazards. A key and pervading concept accepted by most environmental managers is that combustible ecosystems have traditionally burnt because plants are fire adapted. In this opinion article, we explore the concept of plant traits adapted to fire in Mediterranean climates. In the light of major threats to biodiversity conservation, we recommend caution in deliberately increasing fire frequencies if ecosystem degradation and plant extinctions are to be averted as a result of the practice.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T08:57:59Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-39264
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T08:57:59Z
publishDate 2011
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-392642017-09-13T14:25:25Z Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions Bradshaw, S. Dixon, Kingsley Hopper, S. Lambers, H. Turner, S. As climate change increases vegetation combustibility, humans are impacted by wildfires through loss of lives and property, leading to an increased emphasis on prescribed burning practices to reduce hazards. A key and pervading concept accepted by most environmental managers is that combustible ecosystems have traditionally burnt because plants are fire adapted. In this opinion article, we explore the concept of plant traits adapted to fire in Mediterranean climates. In the light of major threats to biodiversity conservation, we recommend caution in deliberately increasing fire frequencies if ecosystem degradation and plant extinctions are to be averted as a result of the practice. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/39264 10.1016/j.tplants.2010.10.007 restricted
spellingShingle Bradshaw, S.
Dixon, Kingsley
Hopper, S.
Lambers, H.
Turner, S.
Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
title Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
title_full Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
title_fullStr Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
title_full_unstemmed Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
title_short Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
title_sort little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in mediterranean climate regions
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/39264