Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Ecological Succession

Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species create more favorable ecological conditions for subsequent species, such as enhanced nutrient, water, or light availability. In contrast, inhibition happens when early successional species create unfavorable ecological conditions for potential successive species, such as limiting resource availability. In some cases, later successional species...

Threats to Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...

What is Evolutionary History?

What is Evolutionary History?

Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.

Ecological Disturbance

Ecological Disturbance

An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.

Ecological Niches

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Does fire-induced bud mortality reduce phenotypic variability?

Annals of botany·2026

Same author

Fire-stimulated flowering enhances multiple plant fitness components.

Annals of botany·2026

Same author

Drought response of fire-adapted Mediterranean shrubs under elevated CO2.

Tree physiology·2026

Same author

Invited reply: Fire-driven alternative vegetation states across the temperate Andes.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

Same author

Acaulescent palms are resilient to disturbances: experimental and global evidence.

Annals of botany·2025

Same author

Record-Breaking 2025 European Wildfires Concentrated in Northwest Iberia.

Global change biology·2025

Same journal

Better breeding leveraging more biology.

Trends in plant science·2026

Same journal

Women in plant science around the world.

Trends in plant science·2026

Same journal

Bilateral symmetry genes: If they exist, how would we know?

Trends in plant science·2026

Same journal

From xylem atlases to developmental continuity in forestry.

Trends in plant science·2026

Same journal

Small peptides guard the gate of plant immunity.

Trends in plant science·2026

Same journal

Phosphorylation blues: Cracking the phototropin phosphocode.

Trends in plant science·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Published on: November 14, 2017

Evolutionary fire ecology: lessons learned from pines.

Juli G Pausas¹

¹CIDE-CSIC, Ctra. Naquera Km 4.5 (IVIA), Montcada, Valencia, 46113 Spain.

Trends in Plant Science

|March 28, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Pine evolutionary studies reveal fire as a long-standing evolutionary pressure, shaping plant biodiversity. Understanding these fire traits aids pine forest management and other species research.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture System of Pine Shoots and Pinewood Nematode for Studying Host Volatile Response

Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture System of Pine Shoots and Pinewood Nematode for Studying Host Volatile Response

Published on: September 27, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Published on: November 14, 2017

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture System of Pine Shoots and Pinewood Nematode for Studying Host Volatile Response

Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture System of Pine Shoots and Pinewood Nematode for Studying Host Volatile Response

Published on: September 27, 2024

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Plant ecology
Fire ecology

Background:

Macroevolutionary studies of the genus Pinus offer the earliest evidence of fire acting as an evolutionary pressure on plants, dating back approximately 125 million years.
Microevolutionary research indicates significant variability in fire-related traits within and across pine populations, particularly under differing fire regimes.

Purpose of the Study:

To present compelling evidence that fire acts as an evolutionary pressure on plants, influencing biodiversity.
To highlight the role of evolutionary fire ecology in informing pine forest management strategies.
To suggest insights from pine evolutionary ecology applicable to other taxa.

Main Methods:

Review of macroevolutionary studies on the genus Pinus.
Analysis of microevolutionary studies on fire traits in pine populations.
Synthesis of evidence for the genetic basis of fire trait variability.

Main Results:

Pines provide robust evidence for fire as a significant evolutionary pressure.
Variability in fire traits is observed within and among populations, influenced by fire regimes.
An inherited genetic basis for fire trait variability is increasingly supported.

Conclusions:

Fire has demonstrably shaped plant biodiversity through evolutionary pressures, exemplified by pines.
Evolutionary fire ecology offers valuable insights for managing pine forests in changing environments.
Research on pine evolutionary ecology can guide studies on the evolutionary ecology of other plant and animal groups.