Evolutionary Origins of Plant Adaptations Should Not Influence Fire Management Decisions: USGS Research Brief

In response to a recent criticism of the practice of prescription burning published in Trends in Plant Science, USGS scientist Jon Keeley and colleagues from Spain, South Africa and Australia contend that when applied within the context of a landscape’s natural fire regime, prescribed burning remains a viable treatment to manage native plant ecosystems.
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Keeley, J.E., J.G. Pausas, P.W. Rundel, W.J. Bond, R.A. Bradstock. 2011. Fire as an Evolutionary Pressure Shaping Plant Traits. Trends in Plant Science 16(8): 1360-1385. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2011.04.002