Pyrodiversity begets plant-pollinator community diversity

Policy Summary

Natural disturbances such as fire have important ramifications for increases in biodiversity. Specifically, pyrodiversity occurs when different but closely located geographic areas have different fire histories. Frequency, severity, size, extent, and season of the fire are all important elements that contribute to an area’s fire history and amount of pyrodiversity. The researchers found that areas with increased pyrodiversity also had increased biodiversity, leading to more pollinators and an increased pollinator resilience in drought years. Lower pyrodiversity has negative affects on plant-pollinator communities. These findings are important because fire managers should recognize the importance of variation in fire types, which supports higher pyrodiversity. Prescribed burns and mega-wild fires can not be the only fire management approaches used if we are to have high pyrodiversity.

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