Genetic footprints of fire: Understanding the genetic implications of fire regimes for fauna and effective conservation strategies
Jaclyn Harris, David G. Chapple, Claire A. McLean, Jane Melville
Abstract
Globally, fire regimes are undergoing significant changes due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. In some regions, prescribed fire is being reintroduced to management, often after decades of suppression, and wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency. Local fire regimes play a defining role in structuring faunal diversity and demographic patterns; however, research often focusses on the impacts of fire regimes on species abundance and diversity and there is a dearth in our understanding of the genetic consequences. Our review identified only 37 studies that empirically tested the genetic impacts of fire on fauna, or that attributed genetic patterns to be a consequence of fire regimes. Despite limited empirical research, this review confirms that fire regimes impact the genetic patterns of fauna at an individual, population and meta-population scale. We found that fire regimes may alter an array of genetic patterns by shaping i) natural selection, ii) survival and repopulation strategies, and iii) dispersal. Moreover, we found that anthropogenic interference in fire regimes can impact genetic patterns of fauna, and that changes to the individual characteristics of the fire regime, whether temporal, spatial or intensity related, may have potential genetic consequences. In collating evidence that fire regimes and associated human action can affect genetic patterns of wild populations, this review highlights the need for the further integration of genetic research into the field of fire ecology to help ensure management decisions are well-informed.