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The role of fire on Earth.
Juli G Pausas1, Jon E Keeley2,3, William J Bond4
1Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Moncada, Spain.
Bioscience
|December 10, 2025
Summary
Fire is a fundamental ecological process shaping Earth's biosphere, biodiversity, and ecosystems. Understanding its evolutionary role and predicting its future impact in a human-dominated world is crucial.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Fire has been a persistent force since plants colonized land, influencing global biodiversity and ecosystems.
- It plays a critical role in biogeochemical cycles and has been integral to human evolution.
- Human activities have significantly altered natural fire regimes, impacting the biosphere.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the intrinsic and evolutionary significance of fire on Earth.
- To emphasize the need for understanding and predicting fire's role in the modern, human-altered world.
Main Methods:
- This study is a review and synthesis of existing knowledge on fire's ecological and evolutionary roles.
- It integrates concepts from ecology, evolutionary biology, and human history.
Main Results:
- Fire is a key driver of biodiversity and ecosystem structure globally.
- It has co-evolved with plant and animal lineages, shaping life on Earth.
- Human modification of fire regimes presents significant challenges for future ecological management.
Conclusions:
- Fire is an intrinsic component of the Earth system with profound evolutionary and ecological impacts.
- Predicting fire's future role requires understanding its historical significance and current human-driven changes.
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