TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat
JO  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
A1  - Ayars, Jessalyn
A1  - Kramer, H. Anu
A1  - Jones, Gavin M.
SP  - e2312909120
EP  - e2312909120
VL  - 120
IS  - 48
N2  - Fire activity during 2020 to 2021 in California, USA, was unprecedented in the modern record. More than 19,000 km(2) of forest vegetation burned (10× more than the historical average), potentially affecting the habitat of 508 vertebrate species. Of the >9,000 km(2) that burned at high severity, 89% occurred in large patches that exceeded historical estimates of maximum high-severity patch size. In this 2-y period, 100 vertebrate species experienced fire across >10% of their geographic range, 16 of which were species of conservation concern. These 100 species experienced high-severity fire across 5 to 14% of their ranges, underscoring potentially important changes to habitat structure. Species in this region are not adapted to high-severity megafires. Management actions, such as prescribed fires and mechanical thinning, can curb severe fire behavior and reduce the potential negative impacts of uncharacteristic fires on wildlife.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0027-8424
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2312909120
ID  - ref1
ER  -