Fires in nature and wildlife

Miha Adamič (2001) Fires in nature and wildlife. Zbornik gozdarstva in lesarstva (66). pp. 5-23. ISSN 0351-3114

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Abstract

Wildfires are common abiotic factors in many ecosystems worldwide. In Slovenia, they seldom occur spontaneously, but are, largely, set by humans. The life strategies of native wildlife species in Slovenia, therefore, have merely adequate abilities to avoid fire, compated to those in vast arid zones, where wildfires regularly occur. Fires bring direct threats to wildlife, but also bring changes to existing food, cover and nesting conditions of habitats. Territorial species, occupying small home ranges and those dwelling in understory, litter and on the surface of the soil are most greatly exposed to wildfires and their impact. Those species are regularly killed in wildfires. Security cover and food availability of wildlife habitats are drastically changed by the fires. Thus, the species which manage to escape the flames, but try to return their habitats after the cesation of fire, have poor chances of survival. Living conditions for wildlife on burned areas are re-established in following years. Prescribed fires are widely used as a management tool to improve the quality of food and cover on vast areas of wildlife habitats in many parts of the world.

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