Wildfire is neither “good” nor “bad” for plants.

Wildfire is neither “good” nor “bad” for plants. It’s similar to temperature or rain… Just a part of the ecosystem to which plants have adapted. In some cases, plants at scales ranging from individuals, to populations, to communities can even depend on a certain pattern of fire for their survival.

Individual plants can be categorized as fire resisters or persisters. Resisters have structures that protect them from heat damage, such as thick bark. Many persisters are known as “sprouters” or “seeders.” Their means of survival is by postfire resprouting or repopulating burned areas through seeds stored in the soil.

The extent and age structure of plant populations, or groups of individuals of the same species, respond to the entire fire regime, including fire seasonality, return interval, size, spatial complexity, intensity, and type.

Plant communities, or groups of different plant populations, not only respond to the entire fire regime but also have feedback effects, which can alter how fire behaves within that ecosystem.

Source:
Ch 8: Fire In California's Ecosystems 2nd ed

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