|
|
Article: Ecology, Fire
- Article from:
- Plant Sciences
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Ecology, Fire
Fire has been an agent of change in nearly every terrestrial vegetation type on Earth, shaping both the species composition and structure. The probability of occurrence and the effects of fire vary widely depending upon the amount of fuel present, topography, climate, sources of ignition, and present species composition of the area. Fires may be severe, causing great mortality of existing plants and significantly changing the species composition
of the burned area, or they may have little impact on the composition and consume only the dry dead plant material present. They may burn intensely as fast-moving fires with flame lengths greater than 25 meters, or they may occur ...