Ecology
Published August 26, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.59350/sbvch-72y58

The role of fire on Earth

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In a new paper [1], we describe the role of fire on Earth. Fire is a defining feature of our biosphere, having appeared when the first plants colonized the land [2], and it continues to occur across the planet at different frequencies and intensities [3]. Fire has been and remains as an evolutionary force in many plant and animal lineages and contributes to explaining the variability of our biodiversity [4,5]. Fire has also shaped the structure of many ecosystems and the distribution of biomes [6], and it is an important contributor to global biogeochemical cycles [7]. In addition, fire has been a key factor in human evolution, and, in turn, humans have modified fire regimes [8] with important consequences for the biosphere. Consequently, fire is an intrinsic factor on our planet; it affects all five major components of the Earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, anthroposphere, geosphere) [1]. Our challenge now is to understand and predict the role of fire in a densely populated, highly technological world that imposes significant changes on the Earth.

Fig. 1. Fire affects all five major components of the Earth system. Illustration: DharmaBeren Studio. From [1]

References

[1] Pausas JG, Keeley JE, Bond WJ (in press). The role of fire on Earth. BioScience  [doi | pdf]

[2] Pausas JG, Keeley JE. 2009. A burning story: the role of fire in the history of life. Bioscience 59: 593–601. [doi | OUP | pdf]

[3] Pausas J.G. & Ribeiro E. 2013. The global fire-productivity relationship. Global Ecol. & Biogeogr. 22: 728-736. [doi | pdf | appendix | erratum]

[4] He T, Lamont BB, Pausas JG. 2019. Fire as a key driver of Earth's biodiversity. Biol. Rev. 94: 1983–2010. [doi | pdf]

[5] Pausas J.G., Parr C.L. 2018. Towards an understanding of the evolutionary role of fire in animals. Evol. Ecol. 32: 113–125. [doi | pdf]

[6] Pausas JG, Bond WJ. 2020. Alternative biome states in terrestrial ecosystems. Trends Pl. Sci. 25: 250–263. [doi | sciencedirect | cell | pdf]

[7] Pausas J.G. & Bond W.J. 2020. On the three major recycling pathways in terrestrial ecosystems. Trends in Ecol. Evol. 35: 767-775. [doi | sciencedirect | pdf]

[8] Pausas J.G. & Keeley J.E. 2021. Wildfires and global change. Front. Ecol. Environ. 19: 387-395. [doi | wiley | pdf ]

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Description

In a new paper [1], we describe the role of fire on Earth.

Identifiers

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https://jgpausas.blogs.uv.es/?p=8465
URL
https://jgpausas.blogs.uv.es/2025/08/26/the-role-of-fire-on-earth/

Dates

Issued
2025-08-26T05:26:00
Updated
2025-09-05T05:29:11

References

  1. Pausas, J. G., Keeley, J. E., & Bond, W. J. (2025). The role of fire on Earth. BioScience, 75(12), 1028–1041. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf132
  2. Pausas, J. G., & Keeley, J. E. (2009). A Burning Story: The Role of Fire in the History of Life. BioScience, 59(7), 593–601. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.7.10
  3. Pausas, J. G., & Ribeiro, E. (2013). The global fire-productivity relationship. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 22(6), 728–736. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12043
  4. He, T., Lamont, B. B., & Pausas, J. G. (2019). Fire as a key driver of Earth's biodiversity. Biological Reviews, 94(6), 1983–2010. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12544
  5. Pausas, J. G., & Parr, C. L. (2018). Towards an understanding of the evolutionary role of fire in animals. Evolutionary Ecology, 32(2-3), 113–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-018-9927-6
  6. Pausas, J. G., & Bond, W. J. (2020). Alternative Biome States in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Trends in Plant Science, 25(3), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2019.11.003
  7. Pausas, J. G., & Bond, W. J. (2020). On the Three Major Recycling Pathways in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35(9), 767–775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.04.004
  8. Pausas, J. G., & Keeley, J. E. (2021). Wildfires and global change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 19(7), 387–395. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2359