Bugs, hares, and other unexpected animals that control wild fires
Even tiny critters can influence big fires (Neil Thomas/Unsplash/)We’re used to hearing about how humans have changed the way landscapes burn, but in recent years biologists and ecologists have increasingly come to realize how much influence animals have on blazes. In California, for instance, cities are now investing in goat herds to mow down hillsides covered in weedy, dry vegetation that serves as tinder during the state’s fire season. But the relationships between animals and fire are far more varied and complex than just herbivores cutting down on wildfire fuel, a new review in Trends in Ecology & Evolution reveals. Grazers don’t always reduce wildfires, and large animals aren’t the only organisms modifying fuels—small mammals, birds, and insects also play important roles. “I think when it comes to thinking about what animals might influence fire, there’s been an emphasis on large animals,” says Claire Foster, an author of the review...