ORCID
- SA Collins: 0000-0002-0539-7241
Abstract
Uncontrolled fires place considerable burdens on forest ecosystems, compromising our ability to meet conservation and restoration goals. A poor understanding of the impacts of fire on ecosystems and their biodiversity exacerbates this challenge, particularly in tropical regions where few studies have applied consistent analytical techniques to examine a broad range of ecological impacts over multiyear time frames. We compiled 16 y of data on ecosystem properties (17 variables) and biodiversity (21 variables) from a tropical peatland in Indonesia to assess fire impacts and infer the potential for recovery. Burned forest experienced altered structural and microclimatic conditions, resulting in a proliferation of nonforest vegetation and erosion of forest ecosystem properties and biodiversity. Compared to unburned forest, habitat structure, tree density, and canopy cover deteriorated by 58 to 98%, while declines in species diversity and abundance were most pronounced for trees, damselflies, and butterflies, particularly for forest specialist species. Tracking ecosystem property and biodiversity datasets over time revealed most to be sensitive to recurrent high-intensity fires within the wider landscape. These megafires immediately compromised water quality and tree reproductive phenology, crashing commercially valuable fish populations within 3 mo and driving a gradual decline in threatened vertebrates over 9 mo. Burned forest remained structurally compromised long after a burn event, but vegetation showed some signs of recovery over a 12-y period. Our findings demonstrate that, if left uncontrolled, fire may be a pervasive threat to the ecological functioning of tropical forests, underscoring the importance of fire prevention and long-term restoration efforts, as exemplified in Indonesia.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2024-04-15
Publication Title
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume
121
Issue
17
ISSN
0027-8424
Acceptance Date
2023-12-02
Deposit Date
2026-08-05
Additional Links
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=plymouth_pure&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:001222958200004&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL, https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85190809232
Keywords
Biodiversity, Fire regime, Megafire, Multi- taxon, Restoration
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Harrison, M., Deere, N., Imron, M., Nasir, D., Adul., Asti, H., Soler, J., Boyd, N., Cheyne, S., Collins, S., D'Arcy, L., Erb, W., Green, H., Healy, W., Hendri., Holly, B., Houlihan, P., Husson, S., Iwan., Jeffers, K., Kulu, I., Kusin, K., Marchant, N., Morrogh-Bernard, H., Page, S., Purwanto, A., Capilla, B., Ortega, O., Santiano., & Spencer, K. (2024) 'Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(17). Available at: 10.1073/pnas.2307216121
