January 27, 2025

What Are Wildfires and How Do They Affect Biodiversity?

Wildfires, as defined by National Geographic, are uncontrolled fires which burn in wildland vegetation, usually in rural areas. They can burn in various types of environments, such as in forests, savannas, and more. There are three main types of wildfires: ground fires (occur in soil thick with material which feed the fire’s flames), surface fires (occur among dead and/or dry vegetation just above ground, lying on the surface), and crown fires (occur among trees and shrubs)

There are a wide range of immediate impacts on biodiversity. As the wildfire rages on, there is direct mortality of the plants and animals that are caught within. Additionally, wildfires displace the local organisms, forcing them to migrate to new areas. As they flee, they are extremely vulnerable to predation and notably, humans, if they come across human-inhabited areas. The new environments may also prove unsuitable for their needs, causing them to eventually perish. In the case the new environment can sustain them, however, they can then act as invasive species, outcompeting the new area’s native species, decreasing biodiversity in that manner.

However, wildfires can have numerous long-term impacts as well. They can potentially cause permanent loss of native vegetation, long-term or permanent habitat loss and/or habitat conditions relied upon native species, and can greatly hinder the ability for ecosystems to recover, especially with recurrent wildfire incidents. All of this reduces local biodiversity to a large extent.


California Wildfires
The past decade has seen a significantly large number of wildfires, many of which have occurred in the state of California. Many factors have contributed to this development, the most troubling of which can be considered the area’s constant severe droughts. This has caused the state to have a large amount of land susceptible to wildfires, allowing them to quickly spread once they begin, while also allowing them to last for a long period of time due to the amount of flammable material and lack of water resources for resolving them.

Over time, California’s forests can be converted into areas where grasses and shrubs are more dominant. However, since certain wildlife depends on native forest ecosystems, as the environment permanently shifts, those native species are greatly harmed, decreasing biodiversity. This is especially concerning for the state of California as it is home to over 500 different species. To add on, with the rapid and continuous loss of local vegetation and subsequent negative impacts on the soil, previous erosion and runoff patterns can be significantly altered, which can also harm both water quality and local aquatic species, again decreasing biodiversity.


Mitigation Efforts
There are a variety of mitigation strategies for wildfires. They can be prevented through better management of vegetation health, regularly removing dead and/or dry material to reduce the amount of material susceptible to burning. Strategies could also include building homes with less-flammable materials to decrease wildfires’s ability to spread, while also removing flammable vegetation around buildings to better protect them from being engulfed. Public education programs and improved utility infrastructure can also prove beneficial, as local communities can be better equipped to deal with wildfires as soon as they begin to reduce biodiversity loss.


References:

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wildfires/

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Science-Institute/Wildfire-Impacts#:~:text=Atypically%20large%20patches%20of%20high,of%20essential%20habitat%20for%20native

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/features/extreme-wildfires-take-toll-california-wildlife#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20extreme%20wildfires%20can,biodiverse%20state%20in%20the%20U.S.