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What Constitutes A Natural Fire Regime? Insight From The Ecology And Distribution Of Coniferous Forest Birds In North America, Richard L. Hutto, Courtney J. Conway, Victoria A. Saab, Jeffrey R. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bird species that specialize in the use of burned forest conditions can provide insight into the prehistoric fire regimes associated with the forest types that they have occupied over evolutionary time. The nature of their adaptations reflects the specific post-fire conditions that occurred prior to the unnatural influence of humans after European settlement. Specifically, the post-fire conditions, nest site locations, and social systems of two species (Bachman's sparrow [Aimophila aestivalis] and red-cockaded woodpecker [Picoides borealis]) suggest that, prehistorically, a frequent, low-severity fire regime characterized the southeastern pine system in which they evolved. In contrast, the patterns …