This article was first featured Highland news.
Increased frequency and intensity of fires is shaping species changes, one researcher says. paper Published in a magazine last year Trends in ecology and evolution. Previous research has tended to focus on the direct effects of fire;Have population numbers increased or decreased?— Scientists are starting to consider longer timelines, said study co-author Gavin Jones, a research ecologist at the Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Fire kills some animals, but helps others survive, thereby determining which animal genes are passed on to future generations. The process by which some individuals survive better than others is natural selection and is the driving force behind evolution. In some cases, survivors not only survive fires but also have traits that allow them to actually thrive within the burnt ecosystem and reproduce successfully thereafter.
Fire also acts as a connector, creating habitat that encourages members of a species to interact over a larger area. Conversely, they may divide the population into smaller, more isolated groups. This can result in inbreeding and eventual extinction. Alternatively, human intervention may be required to keep an isolated population alive.
Can wild animals adapt to a fiery future fast enough to thrive? Species with large populations and short generations, like insects, tend to evolve faster than species with longer generations, making it more difficult. There is a possibility. “Many species will no longer be able to adapt and will likely become extinct,” Jones said. “But we’re not completely lost. Some species will be able to adapt.”
Animals with traits adapted to fire have already been identified throughout the Western world. Here are five examples of what Jones calls “evolution in action.”
black fire beetle
Blackfire beetles love fire. In fact, they search for and follow newly burned stumps to lay their eggs. Fire also scares off predators that may eat the beetle eggs before they hatch. That’s why this insect has developed sensory organs on the sides of its body, tucked behind its legs, that can detect heat and tell you where an active flame or smoldering charred area is, even from tens of miles away. You can let us know. Sensitive infrared receptors within these organs contain small pockets of water that expand when they sense heat, triggering the beetle to track the heat to its source.
black-backed woodpecker
Black-backed woodpeckers nest in the shade of scorched trees or standing dead trees, their feathers blending into the sooty environment. However, studies on survival of young birds have found that the closer their nests are to unburned forest, meaning the more shelter trees are present, the more likely they are to survive to adulthood and pass on their genes. Offspring hatched in the middle of heavily burned forests are unlikely to survive, which selects for the genes of birds that nest near intact forests. Additional research has shown that woodpeckers flock to burnt areas in search of beetles three to five years after a fire, and that mating allows different populations to mix and share genes.
western fence lizard
If an animal’s skin, scales, and feathers match its surface, it is more likely to survive and reproduce because it is camouflaged from potential predators. Mismatch can be fatal. Western fence lizards are common reptiles found throughout the West that range in color from black to gray to brown, with sky-blue bellies and backs. In Southern California, it perches on the blackened stems of burnt shrubs for several years after a fire, avoiding white surfaces that do not match the scales. Over time, this behavior can increase the number of dark-colored lizards.
spotted owl
Spotted owls need lush, old-growth forests to survive. But even after a big fire, not all birds die or relocate. GPS tracking shows that spotted owls do indeed prefer to hunt in heavily burnt forest areas, particularly in relatively small areas of about 2.5 to 25 acres and still surrounded by intact green trees in which to build their nests. There was found. The ideal size of burned area is consistent with patches caused by historically severe fires in the Sierra Nevada, and spotted owls have adapted their behavior over centuries to wildfire patterns in their native habitat. It suggests that it has been done.
Bois Duval’s blue butterfly
Lupins, a wildflower, are popular food for the larvae of butterflies and other pollinators and thrive after wildfires. In California’s Yosemite National Park, wildfires promoted interactions among isolated Bois du Val blue butterfly populations, increasing their genetic diversity and the overall health and resilience of the species. The silvery blue-winged butterfly, which has 25 subspecies (including a subspecies listed as federally endangered and a subspecies listed as federally endangered), commonly occurs after fires. They’re not the only animals to benefit from the nutritional explosion. New growth that appears after a fire. Prescribed burns can also stimulate the same effect.
