Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

  • explain why fire is an important component of healthy ecosystems
  • explain what is meant by a ‘fire regime’ and how changes in fire regimes can lead to changes in ecosystems
  • describe some adaptive features of plants that have evolved in response to fire
  • describe how some animals avoid fires and/or benefit from the aftermath of natural fires
  • explain how global warming may result in an increase in both the frequency and intensity of fires.