A Burning Story: The Role of Fire in the History of Life
Abstract
Ecologists, biogeographers, and paleobotanists have long thought that climate and soils controlled the distribution of ecosystems, with the role of fire getting only limited appreciation. Here we review evidence from different disciplines demonstrating that wildfire appeared concomitant with the origin of terrestrial plants and played an important role throughout the history of life. The importance of fire has waxed and waned in association with changes in climate and paleoatmospheric conditions. Well before the emergence of humans on Earth, fire played a key role in the origins of plant adaptations as well as in the distribution of ecosystems. Humans initiated a new stage in ecosystem fire, using it to make the Earth more suited to their lifestyle. However, as human populations have expanded their use of fire, their actions have come to dominate some ecosystems and change natural processes in ways that threaten the sustainability of some landscapes.
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Fire has been a dominant ecological and evolutionary force on Earth since plants colonized the land about 400 Mya.
“Fire has been a dominant ecological and evolutionary force on Earth since plants colonized the land about 400 Mya (Judson, 2017;Pausas & Keeley, 2009).”
From Fire as a fundamental ecological process: Research advances and frontiers (2020) · cites this paper as Pausas & Keeley, 2009
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Ustaoğlu, E., & Collier, M. J. (2018) · Environmental Reviews · doi:10.1139/er-2018-0001 · Cited by 244 · see citing works
Fire and the spread of flowering plants in the Cretaceous
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Fire-stimulated flowering among resprouters and geophytes in Australia and South Africa
Lamont, B. B., & Downes, K. S. (2011) · Plant Ecology · doi:10.1007/s11258-011-9987-y · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Predicting Fire Frequency with Chemistry and Climate
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Fire and soils: Key concepts and recent advances
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Syphard, A. D., Keeley, J. E., Pfaff, A. H., & Ferschweiler, K. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1713885114 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Self-citationHousing Arrangement and Location Determine the Likelihood of Housing Loss Due to Wildfire
Syphard, A. D., Keeley, J. E., Massada, A. B., Brennan, T. J., & Radeloff, V. C. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033954 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Self-citationAbrupt Climate-Independent Fire Regime Changes
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Self-citationMartínez, T. L., Nadal‐Romero, E., & Vadillo, J. A. (2015) · Environmental Science & Policy · doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2015.05.012 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Scientists’ warning on wildfire — a Canadian perspective
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Brotons, L., Aquilué, N., de Cáceres, M., Fortin, M.-J., & Fall, A. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062392 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
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Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions
Bradshaw, D., Dixon, K. W., Hopper, S. D., Lambers, H., & Turner, S. R. (2010) · Trends in Plant Science · doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2010.10.007 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
A model for global biomass burning in preindustrial time: LPJ-LMfire (v1.0)
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Evolutionary fire ecology: lessons learned from pines
Pausas, J. G. (2015) · Trends in Plant Science · doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2015.03.001 · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Self-citationHe, T., Lamont, B. B., & Downes, K. S. (2011) · New Phytologist · doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03663.x · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Humboldt and the reinvention of nature
Pausas, J. G., & Bond, W. J. (2018) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13109 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Self-citationFire and plant diversity at the global scale
Pausas, J. G., & Ribeiro, E. (2017) · Global Ecology and Biogeography · doi:10.1111/geb.12596 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Self-citationClimate variability and forest fires in central and south‐central Chile
Urrutia‐Jalabert, R., González, M. E., González‐Reyes, Á., Lara, A., & Garreaud, R. D. (2018) · Ecosphere · doi:10.1002/ecs2.2171 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Disentangling Domestication from Food Production Systems in the Neotropics
Clement, C. R., Casas, A., Parra-Rondinel, F. A., Levis, C., Peroni, N., Hanazaki, N., Cortés-Zárraga, L., Rangel-Landa, S., Alves, R. P., Ferreira, M. J., et al. (2021) · Quaternary · doi:10.3390/quat4010004 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
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Location, timing and extent of wildfire vary by cause of ignition
Syphard, A. D., & Keeley, J. E. (2015) · International Journal of Wildland Fire · doi:10.1071/wf14024 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Self-citationKeeley, J. E., & Pausas, J. G. (2022) · Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics · doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102320-095612 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Self-citationWildfire Danger Prediction and Understanding With Deep Learning
Kondylatos, S., Prapas, I., Ronco, M., Papoutsis, I., Camps‐Valls, G., Piles, M., Fernández‐Torres, M., & Carvalhais, N. (2022) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2022gl099368 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Fire-driven alien invasion in a fire-adapted ecosystem
Keeley, J. E., & Brennan, T. J. (2012) · Oecologia · doi:10.1007/s00442-012-2253-8 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Self-citationCrisp, M. D., & Cook, L. G. (2013) · Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics · doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110512-135910 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Megafires in Chile 2017: Monitoring multiscale environmental impacts of burned ecosystems
de la Barrera, F., Barraza, F., Favier, P., Ruiz, V., & Qüense, J. (2018) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.119 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Cretaceous wildfires and their impact on the Earth system
Brown, S. A. E., Scott, A. C., Glasspool, I. J., & Collinson, M. E. (2012) · Cretaceous Research · doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2012.02.008 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Tanned or Burned: The Role of Fire in Shaping Physical Seed Dormancy
Moreira, B., & Pausas, J. G. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051523 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Self-citationJolly, C. J., Dickman, C. R., Doherty, T. S., van Eeden, L. M., Geary, W. L., Legge, S., Woinarski, J. C. Z., & Nimmo, D. G. (2022) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.16044 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
The Analysis of Charcoal in Peat and Organic Sediments
Mooney, S., & Tinner, W. (2011) · Mires and Peat · doi:10.19189/001c.128417 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
The spatially varying influence of humans on fire probability in North America
Parisien, M.-A., Miller, C., Parks, S. A., DeLancey, E. R., Robinne, F.-N., & Flannigan, M. D. (2016) · Environmental Research Letters · doi:10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/075005 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) fire scars reveal new details of a frequent fire regime
Stambaugh, M. C., Guyette, R. P., & Marschall, J. M. (2011) · Journal of Vegetation Science · doi:10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01322.x · Cited by 166 · see citing works
How wildfires affect soil properties. A brief review
Zavala, L. M., de Celis, R., & Jordán, A. (2014) · Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica · doi:10.18172/cig.2522 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
A Planetary Health Perspective on Agroforestry in Sub-Saharan Africa
Rosenstock, T. S., Dawson, I. K., Aynekulu, E., Chomba, S., Degrande, A., Fornace, K., Jamnadass, R., Kimaro, A. A., Kindt, R., Lamanna, C. A., et al. (2019) · One Earth · doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2019.10.017 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
A global synthesis of fire effects on pollinators
Carbone, L. M., Tavella, J., Pausas, J. G., & Aguilar, R. (2019) · Global Ecology and Biogeography · doi:10.1111/geb.12939 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
Self-citationWildfire susceptibility mapping: Deterministic vs. stochastic approaches
Leuenberger, M., Parente, J., Tonini, M., Pereira, M., & Kanevski, M. (2018) · Environmental Modelling & Software · doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2017.12.019 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Local and global pyrogeographic evidence that indigenous fire management creates pyrodiversity
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Fire and Plant Diversification in Mediterranean-Climate Regions
Rundel, P. W., Arroyo, M. T. K., Cowling, R. M., Keeley, J. E., Lamont, B. B., Pausas, J. G., & Vargas, P. (2018) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.00851 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Self-citationRisk of post-fire metal mobilization into surface water resources: A review
Abraham, J., Dowling, K., & Florentine, S. (2017) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.096 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Fire regime changes and major driving forces in Spain from 1968 to 2010
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Charcoal: Taphonomy and significance in geology, botany and archaeology
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The impact of fire on the Late Paleozoic Earth system
Glasspool, I. J., Scott, A. C., Waltham, D. A., Пронина, Н. В., & Shao, L. (2015) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2015.00756 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Fires enhance flammability inUlex parviflorus
Pausas, J. G., Alessio, G. A., Moreira, B., & Corcobado, G. (2011) · New Phytologist · doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03945.x · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Self-citationBuds, bushfires and resprouting in the eucalypts
Burrows, G. E. (2013) · Australian Journal of Botany · doi:10.1071/bt13072 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Fire structures pine serotiny at different scales
Hernandez‐Serrano, A., Verdú, M., González‐Martínez, S. C., & Pausas, J. G. (2013) · American Journal of Botany · doi:10.3732/ajb.1300182 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Self-citationHow can we advance the knowledge on the behavior and effects of fire in the Cerrado biome?
Gomes, L., Miranda, H. S., & Bustamante, M. (2018) · Forest Ecology and Management · doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2018.02.032 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
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Vegetation history, climate and human impact in the Spanish Central System over the last 9000 years
Sáez, J. A. L., Abel‐Schaad, D., Díaz, S. P., González, A. B., Alba‐Sánchez, F., Dorado, M. G., Zapata, M. B. R., García, M. J. G., Gómez-González, C., & Múgica, F. F. (2013) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2013.06.034 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Fire as a disturbance in mediterranean climate streams
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Distinguishing disturbance from perturbations in fire-prone ecosystems
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Self-citationLinking Forest Flammability and Plant Vulnerability to Drought
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Zero-fire: Not possible nor desirable in the Cerrado of Brazil
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Socioeconomic Factors Drive Fire-Regime Variability in the Mediterranean Basin
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Self-citationAssessing Climate Change Impacts on Wildfire Exposure in Mediterranean Areas
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Monitoring global changes in biodiversity and climate essential as ecological crisis intensifies
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Contributions of human cultures to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation
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Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination
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Self-citationEffects of large herbivores on fire regimes and wildfire mitigation
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Integrated forest management to prevent wildfires under Mediterranean environments
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- Authors
- Pausas, J. G., & Keeley, J. E.
- Venue
- BioScience
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-07
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 593-601
- ISSN
- 0006-3568 (ISSN-L)
- 1525-3244
- OpenAlex
- W2108403435
- Cited by
- 1,226
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 88 · 2025: 97 · 2024: 107 · 2023: 129 · 2022: 89 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 78 · 2019: 73 · 2018: 73 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 60 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 48 · 2013: 63 · 2012: 50
- FWCI
- 37.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- BioScience (publishedVersion)
- BioOne Complete (BioOne) (submittedVersion)
- DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Generalitat Valenciana
- Universitat de València
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Keywords
- fire, forest fires, history of life, ecosystem distribution, paleoclimate, paleoatmosphere, fire use, anthropogenic fire, landscape sustainability, biogeography
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